Hypertension reduces the number of beta-adrenergic receptors in rat brain microvessels.

Beta-adrenergic receptor function was measured in cerebral microvessels of spontaneously and DOCA-salt hypertensive rats using 125I-iodohydroxybenzylpindolol (IHYP). Both in genetic and in experimental hypertension, a significant decrease in the number of beta-receptor sites was observed, without receptor affinity changes. These results suggest that alterations of central adrenergic regulation of small vessels may participate in the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the development of the central hypertensive disease.