Antioxidant activity of β-blockers: An effect mediated by scavenging reactive oxygen and nitrogen species? Original Research Article

The therapeutic effects of β-blockers are normally explained by their capacity to block the β-adrenoceptors, however, some of the beneficial cardiovascular effects shown by this group of compounds have already been associated with the antioxidant properties that some of them seem to possess. The β-blockers atenolol, labetalol, metoprolol, pindolol, propranolol, sotalol, timolol, and carvedilol were tested for their putative scavenging activity for ROS (O2radical dot−, H2O2, HOradical dot, HOCl, and ROOradical dot) and RNS (radical dotNO and ONOO−). Some of the studied compounds are effective ROS and/or RNS scavengers, these effects being possibly useful in preventing oxidative damage verified in hypertension as well as in other cardiovascular diseases that frequently emerge in association with oxidative stress.