Chronic subcutaneous treatment with acebutolol: haemodynamic effects and metabolism in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Chronic administration of acebutolol (15 mg kg−1 s.c. three times a week for five weeks, then 30 mg kg−1 for three weeks) did not lower blood pressure in 17 and 33 weeks‐old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). At the end of this treatment, the plasma concentrations of acebutolol and diacetolol were measured by HPLC. After 24 h, acebutolol was absent from plasma while diacetolol was lower after chronic treatment than after acute administration. Twenty‐four hours after the last injection of acebutolol, both isoprenaline‐induced tachycardia and vasodilatation were reduced. The vasomotor agents, noradrenaline, bradykinin and angiotensin, exhibited the same activity in control and treated SHR. These findings suggest that the lack of antihypertensive effect of acebutolol in SHR may be the result of a decrease in diacetolol formation together with blockade of β2 vascular receptors.