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Abstract Introduction Guanethidine (Ismelin*) is a substance which reduces the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (Maxwell et al.1). By virtue of this property, guanethidine has been used successfully as a hypotensive agent in essential hypertension over the last few years (Leishman et al.,2 Mertz,4 Sturzenegger et al.,5 Dollery et al.,6 Jaquerod and Spühler,3 and others).Unlike hexamethonium and pentolinium, guanethidine has no ganglion-blocking action. It also has no peripheral sympathicolytic effect, since the sensitivity of the receptors to sympathicomimetic substances is not decreased but is, on the contrary, increased. Guanethidine inhibits the release of levarterenol somewhere between the ganglion and the receptor (Fig. 1). It has a long-lasting effect: after one therapeutically active dose, the inhibition lasts for several days. In experiments on animals it could be shown to be still present after 3 weeks. Following oral administration to patients, the maximum effect is References 1. Ciba N. V., Arnhem, Holland, kindly supplied the Ismelin required for the experiments described in this report. 2. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. C. G. van den Bosch, instrument maker of the Ophthalmological Clinic, for designing and preparing the clamp. 3. Maxwell, R. A.; Plummer, A. J.; Povalski, H., and Schneider, F.: Concerning a Possible Action of Guanethidine (SU-5864) in Smooth Muscle , J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 129:24, 1960. 4. Leishman, A. W. D.; Matthews, H. L., and Smith, A. J.: Guanethidine: Hypotensive Drug with Prolonged Action , Lancet 2:1044, 1959.Crossref 5. Jaquerod, R., and Spühler, O.: Zur Behandlung schwerer Hypertonien mit Guanethidin , Schweiz. Med. Wschr. 90:113, 1960. 6. Mertz, D. P.: Über die akute und protrahierte Wirkung von Guanethidin auf die Nierenhämodynamik, den Wasser-und Elektrolythaushalt bei gesunden Personen , Deutsch. Med. Wschr. 85: 1278, 1960.Crossref 7. Sturzenegger, E.; Siegenthaler, W., and Lüthy, E.: Der Einfluss von Guanethidin auf den Blutdruck des Normotonikers unter körperlicher Belastung , Deutsch. Med. Wschr. 85:1275, 1960.Crossref 8. Dollery, C. T.; Emslie-Smith, D., and Milne, M. D.: Clinical and Pharmacological Studies with Guanethidine in the Treatment of Hypertension , Lancet 2:381, 1960.Crossref 9. Oosterhuis, J. A., and Lammens, A. J. J.: Eine neue Photographiertechnik bei Augenoperationen , Klin. Mbl. Augenheilk. 138:810, 1961.
Archives of Ophthalmology – American Medical Association
Published: May 1, 1962
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