guanabenz (Wytensin)

^[1]^[2]

Introduction

Tradename: Wytensin.

start 4 mg PO BID; max 32 mg/day

Tabs: 4 & 8 mg.

a centrally acting antihypertensive agent
a centrally acting agent like clonidine
unlike clonidine, no rebound hypertension associated with discontinuation
binds to a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 1, PPP1R15A/GADD34, selectively disrupting stress-induced dephosphorylation of eIF2-alpha & stress-induced protein synthesis, adjusting protein synthesis rates to levels manageable by chaperones, favoring protein folding & rescuing cells from protein misfolding stress^[2]
no effect on related PPP1R15B-phosphatase complex & constitutive protein synthesis^[2]

↑ The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 9th ed. Gilman et al, eds. Permagon Press/McGraw Hill, 1996 pg 781
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Tsaytler P et al. Selective inhibition of a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 1 restores proteostasis. Science 2011 Apr 1; 332:91. PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21385720