of Volume 4.- I Antihypertensive Drugs: Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutic Use.- 1. Diuretics.- 1.1 Mechanism of Action.- 1.2 Pharmacokinetics.- 1.3 Clinical Use.- 1.4 Side Effects.- 2. Sympathetic Inhibiting Agents.- 2.1 Ganglion Blocking Agents.- 2.2 Guanethidine and Other Adrenergic Neurone Blocking Drugs.- 2.3 Rauwolfia Alkaloids.- 2.4 Methyldopa.- 2.5 Clonidine.- 2.6 Prazosin.- 2.7 ?-Adrenoceptor Blocking Agents.- 2.8 Labetalol.- 2.9 MAO Inhibitors.- 3. Direct-acting Vasodilators.- 3.1 Hydrallazine.- 3.2 Minoxidil.- 3.3 Diazoxide.- 3.4 Sodium Nitroprusside.- 4. Angiotensin II Analogues and Converting Enzyme Inhibitors.- 5. Treatment Regimens.- 5.1 Mild Hypertension.- 5.2 Moderate to Severe Hypertension.- 5.3 Resistant Hypertension.- 5.4 Hypertensive Emergencies and Presence of Complications.- II Metoprolol: A Review of its Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Efficacy in Hypertension.- 1. Animal Pharmacodynamic Studies.- 1.1 ?-Adrenoceptor Blocking Effect.- 1.2 Partial Agonist Activity.- 1.3 ?-Adrenoceptor Selectivity.- 1.4 Antihypertensive Effect.- 1.5 Cardiovascular Haemodynamics in Dogs.- 1.6 Toxicology Studies.- 1.7 Dysmotphology and Reproduction Studies.- 2. Animal Pharmacokinetic Studies.- 2.1 Absorption.- 2.2 Half-Life.- 2.3 Distribution.- 2.4 Metabolism.- 3. Human Pharmacodynamic Studies.- 3.1 Effect on Heart Rate and Cardiac Output.- 3.2 Effect on Blood Pressure.- 3.3 ?-Adrenoceptor Selectivity.- 3.4 Effect on Plasma Renin Activity.- 3.5 Metabolic Effects.- 4. Pharmacokinetic Studies in Man.- 4.1 Absorption.- 4.2 Distribution.- 4.3 Metabolism and Excretion.- 4.4 Plasma Concentration and Clinical Effects.- 5. Therapeutic Trials.- 5.1 Comparison with Placebo.- 5.2 Comparison with Other Drugs.- 5.3 Metoprolol Combined with Other Drugs.- 5.4 Long-term Treatment of Hypertension.- 5.5 Is the Efficacy of Metoprolol in Hypertension Influenced by Frequency of Administration?.- 5.6 What is the Role of Metoprolol in Hypertension?.- 6. Side Effects.- 7. Contraindications.- 8. Precautions.- 9. Dosage.- 10. Overdosage.- III Labetalol: A Review of its Pharmacology and Therapeutic Use in Hypertension.- 1. Pharmacology.- 1.1 Blockade of ?- and ?-Adrenoceptors.- 1.2 Haemodynamic Effects.- 1.3 Effect on Plasma Renin Activity and Plasma Angiotensin II.- 1.4 Effect on Respiratory Function.- 1.5 Animal Toxicological Studies.- 1.6 Mode of Action.- 2. Pharmacokinetics.- 2.1 Absorption.- 2.2 Distribution.- 2.3 Elimination.- 2.4 Plasma Concentration and Clinical Effects.- 2.5 Influence of Disease on Kinetics.- 3. Therapeutic Trials.- 3.1 Open Studies.- 3.2 Placebo-Controlled Trials.- 3.3 Labetalol Compared with a ?-Adrenoceptor Blocker Alone or in Combination with an ?-Adrenoceptor Blocker.- 3.4 Use in Phaeochromocytoma.- 3.5 Intravenous Labetalol in Severe Hypertension.- 3.6 Labetalol in Clonidine Withdrawal Hypertension.- 4. What is the Role of Labetalol in Hypertension?.- 5. Side Effects.- 6. Precautions.- 7. Dosage.- 7.1 Initial Dosage, Oral.- 7.2 Dosage Adjustment.- 7.3 Intravenous Labetalol.- IV Prazosin: A Review of its Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Efficacy in Hypertension.- 1. Animal Pharmacodynamic Studies.- 1.1 Mode of Action.- 1.2 Effect on Blood Pressure.- 1.3 Effect on Heart Rate.- 1.4 Effect on Plasma Renin.- 2. Pharmacokinetic Studies in Animals.- 3. Human Pharmacology.- 3.1 Pharmacodynamic Studies.- 3.2 Effect on Renal Function.- 3.3 Effect on Plasma Renin Activity.- 4. Pharmacokinetic Studies in Man.- 4.1 Absorption.- 4.2 Distribution.- 4.3 Elimination.- 4.4 Plasma Concentrations and Clinical Effects.- 4.5 Influence of Disease on Kinetics.- 5. Therapeutic Trials.- 5.1 Prazosin Compared with Placebo.- 5.2 Prazosin Compared with ?-Methyldopa.- 5.3 Prazosin plus a Thiazide Diuretic Compared with Prazosin Alone.- 5.4 Prazosin Compared with Hydrallazine.- 5.5 Prazosin in Combination with other Antihypertensive Drugs.- 5.6 Prazosin in Patients with Renal Disease.- 5.7 Rapid Lowering of Blood Pressure by Prazosin.- 6. Factors Influencing Response to Prazosin.- 6.1 Dosage.- 6.2 Baseline Severity of Blood Pressure and Impaired Renal Function.- 6.3 Duration of Therapy.- 7. What is the Role of Prazosin in the Treatment of Hypertension?.- 8. Side Effects.- 8.1 Postural Effects.- 8.2 Changes in Heart Rate.- 8.3 Skin Reactions.- 8.4 Other Effects.- 8.5 Incidence Compared with ?-Methyldopa.- 8.6 Incidence Compared with Hydrallazine.- 9. Precautions.- 10. Dosage.