Abstract
Objective: We evaluated the influence of chronic blockade of the renin-angiotensin system on hypertension induced by long-term thyroxine (T4) administration. To this end, we determined the effects of chronic treatment with captopril on blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy and other renal and metabolic variables of hypertensive hyperthyroid rats.
Methods: T4 was administered s.c. at 0·38 μmol/kg per day and captopril was given in the drinking water (1·38 mmol/l). Both treatments were maintained for 6 weeks. Control rats received tap water. After the treatment period, the rats were placed in metabolic cages. Later, blood pressure was measured in conscious rats by intra-arterial determination.
Results: T4-treated rats showed an increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) whereas, in rats treated with T4 plus captopril, MAP was similar to that of the control group. Captopril did not affect the increased heart rate or ventricular weight/body weight ratio of hyperthyroid rats, but it improved the reduced creatinine clearance of these animals.
Conclusions: The elevation in blood pressure produced by long-term T4 administration was prevented by chronic blockade of the renin-angiotensin system. Captopril improved the renal function of hyperthyroid rats, but did not affect the relative cardiac hypertrophy of these animals.
European Journal of Endocrinology 136 656–660
C011 Role of the renin-angiotensin system in cardiac hypertrophy and renal glomerular sclerosis in transgenic tsukuba hypertensive mice
