Chronic antagonism of the mineralocorticoid receptor ameliorates hypertension and end organ damage in a rodent model of salt-sensitive hypertension

Clin Exp Hypertens. 2011;33(8):538-47. doi: 10.3109/10641963.2011.566956. Epub 2011 Sep 27.

Abstract

We investigated the effects of chronic mineralocorticoid receptor blockade with eplerenone on the development and progression of hypertension and end organ damage in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. Eplerenone significantly attenuated the progressive rise in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (204 ± 3 vs. 179±3 mmHg, p < 0.05), reduced proteinuria (605.5 ± 29.6 vs. 479.7 ± 26.1 mg/24h, p < 0.05), improved injury scores of glomeruli, tubules, renal interstitium, and vasculature in Dahl salt-sensitive rats fed a high-salt diet. These results demonstrate that mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism provides target organ protection and attenuates the development of elevated blood pressure (BP) in a model of salt-sensitive hypertension.

MeSH terms

  • Aldosterone / blood
  • Animals
  • Blood Pressure / drug effects
  • Chronic Disease
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Progression
  • Electrolytes / blood
  • Eplerenone
  • Heart Rate / drug effects
  • Hypertension, Renal / drug therapy*
  • Hypertension, Renal / pathology
  • Hypertension, Renal / physiopathology
  • Kidney / drug effects
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Kidney / physiology
  • Male
  • Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists* / blood
  • Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists* / pharmacology*
  • Organ Size
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Dahl
  • Receptors, Mineralocorticoid / physiology
  • Sodium Chloride, Dietary / pharmacology*
  • Spironolactone / analogs & derivatives*
  • Spironolactone / blood
  • Spironolactone / pharmacology

Substances

  • Electrolytes
  • Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists
  • Receptors, Mineralocorticoid
  • Sodium Chloride, Dietary
  • Spironolactone
  • Aldosterone
  • Eplerenone
  • Creatinine