Effects of carvedilol on oxidative stress in polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells in patients with essential hypertension

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of carvedilol and propranolol on oxidative stress in leukocytes and C-reactive protein levels in patients with hypertension. METHODS: Sixty hypertensive patients were randomly assigned to carvedilol (20 mg; n = 30) or propranolol (60 mg; n = 30) for 6 months. Thirty normotensive subjects who were given placebo served as controls. Oxidative stress in polymorphonuclear cells and mononuclear cells were measured by gated flow cytometry. C-reactive protein levels were measured by immunonephelometric assay. RESULTS: Oxidative stress in polymorphonuclear cells and mononuclear cells was increased significantly in hypertensive patients compared with in normotensive controls. After 6 months of treatment, carvedilol decreased oxidative stress significantly in polymorphonuclear cells by a mean of 45 arbitrary units (95% confidence interval CI]: 32 to 59 arbitrary units; P <0.001) and propranolol decreased oxidative stress significantly by 20 arbitrary units (95% CI: 7 to 33 arbitrary units; P <0.003; P = 0.001 for difference between treatments). Carvedilol also decreased oxidative stress significantly in mononuclear cells by 23 arbitrary units (95% CI: 15 to 31 arbitrary units; P <0.001), whereas propranolol decreased oxidative stress by 2 arbitrary units (95% CI: 7 to 12 arbitrary units; P = 0.62; P = 0.002 for difference between treatments). Carvedilol decreased C-reactive protein levels significantly by a median of 0.073 mg/dL (interquartile range, 0.034 to 0.112 mg/dL; P <0.001), whereas propranolol decreased levels by 0.012 mg/dL (interquartile range, 0.009 to 0.032 mg/dL; P = 0.26; P = 0.003 for difference between treatments). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that carvedilol inhibits oxidative stress in polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells, as well as lowers C-reactive protein levels, to a greater extent than does propranolol in hypertensive patients.