Similar Vasoconstrictor Responses to Calcium in Normotensive and Essential Hypertensive Men

Abstract

To study limb vascular responses in man to elevations in plasma calcium concentrations, we infused test isosmolar solutions of CaCl2 (0.115, 0.230, and 0.460 meq calcium/min) and NaCl and control isosmolar solutions of NaCl into the brachial arteries of 10 normotensive men and eight men with essential hypertension of mild to moderate severity. Limb blood pressures were monitored, limb blood flow was measured by indicator-dilution, and limb vascular resistance was calculated as mm Hg/ml flow/min/100 cm3 limb volume. Measured concentration of calcium in limb venous plasma during infusion of 0.460 meq calcium/min was 11.5 +/- 0.8 meq/liter (mean +/- SEM) with individual values ranging up to 20 meq/liter. Changes in limb venous serum sodium, potassium, magnesium, and osmolality were similar during control and CaCl2 infusions. Decreases in limb venous blood hematocrit during CaCl2 infusions were the same or greater than those during control infusions. The infusions did not significantly change systemic blood calcium concentration or blood pressures. Limb blood flow decreased and resistance increased in response to CaCl2. Increments averaging as little as 2.2 meq/liter elevated limb resistance by about 45%. Log dose-response curves were linear. Responses did not differ in normotensives and hypertensives (P greater than 0.8). We conclude that the vascular response to acute elevation of plasma calcium concentrations up to 20 meq/liter in the limb oman is an impressive vasoconstriction. We found no evidence for abnormal vascular responses to calcium in essential hypertensive men.