Acute Central and Renal Haemodynamic Responses to Tertatolol and Propranolol in Patients with Arterial Hypertension Following Head Injury

We compared the central and renal haemodynamic effects of tertatolol, a new non-cardioselective β-adrenergic blocking drug without partial agonist activity, with those of an equipotent dosage of propranolol in two groups of 10 patients each with acute cerebral injury who had developed systemic hypertension. After tertatolol, 5 mg orally, mean arterial pressure was unchanged, heart rate decreased by 22% (P < 0.01) and cardiac index by 24% (P < 0.01), while renal blood flow remained unchanged (-5%, NS). After 160 mg propranolol orally, mean arterial pressure was unchanged, heart rate decreased by 12% (P < 0.01), cardiac index by 16% (P < 0.01) and renal blood flow by 17% (P < 0.01). There was a moderate rise in norepinephrine levels after tertatolol only. Thus in this particular model of acute hypertension, tertatolol acted as a potent β-blocking agent but differed from propranolol by preserving renal perfusion.