Norepinephrine transporter function and tolerance to hypergravitational stress: A pilot study

Pharmacological norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibition improves orthostatic tolerance on a tilt table while increasing heart rate. We tested the cardiovascular response to NET inhibition during a graded human centrifuge run in seven healthy men. g-Load was increased in 0.5 g steps with 3 g maximal g-load. On two separate days, patients were tested after selective NET inhibition with reboxetine or with placebo in a double-blind, randomized, crossover fashion. Resting diastolic blood pressure increased moderately with NET inhibition. Resting heart rate was profoundly increased by NET inhibition. NET inhibition augmented the heart rate response while attenuating the increase in blood pressure during hypergravitation. NET inhibition could be tested for its potential to improve cardiovascular g-tolerance.