Effects of the angiotensin II antagonist losartan on endothelin-1 and norepinephrine plasma levels during cold pressor test in patients with chronic heart failure

We evaluate the acute hemodynamic and neurohormonal effects of losartan in 15 patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure (CHF), mean age 72 ± 8 years, which were classified in two subgroups: (A) Patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤0.35 (n = 7); (B) subjects with LVEF >0.35 (n = 8). Sympathetic reactivity (blood pressure, heart rate and plasma norepinephrine) and plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) were evaluated by a cold pressor test (CPT). Single doses of losartan (50 mg p.o.) lowered delta DBP in both subgroups (A, 8 ± 9 to 0 ± 5 mmHg, P< 0.05; B, 10 ± 6 to 3 ± 4 mmHg, P< 0.05) and attenuated the rise of HR in patients with mild (4 ± 6 to −1 ± 2 bpm, P< 0.05) but not with severe (4 ± 5 to 2 ± 5 bpm, n.s.) impairment of left ventricular function. Losartan blunted the response (delta) of PNE during CPT (A, 142 ± 131 to 10 ± 74 pg/ml, P< 0.05; B, 129 ± 72 to 1 ± 144 pg/ml, P< 0.01). A significant rise in plasma ET-1 was observed during CPT in patients from subgroup B (0.64 ± 0.40 to 0.81 ± 0.40 fmol/ml, P< 0.05) but not in patients with LVEF ≤0.35 (1.79 ± 0.44 to 1.51 ± 0.66 fmol/ml, n.s.). Losartan attenuated the rise in ET-1 during CPT in patients with LVEF >0.35 (delta ET-1 0.17 ± 0.86 to 0.03 ± 0.11 fmol/ml, P< 0.05), with no significant changes in subgroup A. Acute effects of losartan were characterized by a more favorable hemodynamic and neurohumoral response in patients with chronic heart failure and preserved systolic ventricular function related to subjects with lower ejection fractions.