Effects of Moxonidine Administration on Serum Neuropeptide Y Levels in Hypertensive Individuals: A Prospective Observational Study
Eleni Karlafti,
Triantafyllos Didangelos,
Emmanouil Benioudakis,
Evangelia Kotzakioulafi,
Georgia Kaiafa,
Vasileios Kotsis,
Antonios Ziakas,
Michail Doumas,
Antonios Goulas,
Christos Savopoulos
Affiliations
Eleni Karlafti
First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University General Hospital of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Triantafyllos Didangelos
First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University General Hospital of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Emmanouil Benioudakis
First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University General Hospital of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Evangelia Kotzakioulafi
First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University General Hospital of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Georgia Kaiafa
First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University General Hospital of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Vasileios Kotsis
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Hypertension-24h ABPM ESH Center of Excellence, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 56429 Thessaloniki, Greece
Antonios Ziakas
First Cardiology Department, Medical School, AHEPA University General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Michail Doumas
Second Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Hippokration General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece
Antonios Goulas
First Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Christos Savopoulos
First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University General Hospital of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
Moxonidine is a centrally acting, anti-hypertensive medication that exerts additional metabolic properties. It is unknown whether its effects are mediated by neurotransmitters or sympathetic tone regulators, including Neuropeptide Y (NPY). In this study, we evaluated the effects of moxonidine administration on serum NPY in humans. Methods: Ninety individuals with mild or moderate arterial hypertension that required monotherapy were categorized in three age and gender-matched groups according to their Body Mass Index (BMI) as normal weight (n = 30), overweight (n = 30), and obese (n = 30). Moxonidine was administered in therapeutic doses of up to 0.6 mg daily for 12 weeks, and clinical, biochemical and hormonal parameters were recorded. Results: In all three groups, a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate was shown. After treatment, BMI, 24 h urine catecholamines and catecholamines’ metabolites, and serum total cholesterol were also reduced. Most importantly, we found a decrease in serum NPY levels in all study groups, with the largest mean decrease in the group of obese and overweight participants compared to normal weight. Conclusions: Moxonidine administration results in improvement in cardio-metabolic parameters, as well as a decrease in serum NPY levels, which therefore represents it being a potent agent against obesity-associated hypertension. Its involvement in energy balance regulation warrants further investigation.
