EFFECTS OF DELAPRIL ON STROKE, KIDNEY DYSFUNCTION AND CARDIAC-HYPERTROPHY IN STROKE-PRONE SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS

This study was performed to investigate the beneficial effects of prol onged treatment with an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, delapril, on the appearance of symptoms of hypertensive cardiovascula r disease in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). Car diovascular disease symptoms: stroke, kidney dysfunction and cardiac h ypertrophy, were evaluated by monitoring the incidence of stroke signs , urinary excretion of protein and the heart weight, respectively. The SHRSP that were kept under salt-loaded conditions (1% NaCl drinking s olution) from six weeks of age developed severe hypertension, showed a n increased incidence of stroke signs and increased urinary excretion of protein. long-term treatment with delapril (10 mg/kg/day, p.o. for four weeks) decreased the blood pressure and completely inhibited the incidence of stroke signs and the increase in urinary excretion of pro tein. In SHRSP that were kept under normal conditions (without 1% NaCl drinking solution), long term treatment with delapril at the same dos e decreased the heart weight and, after five weeks of treatment, left ventricular weight was decreased significantly and the wall/lumen rati o of small coronary arterioles and the thickness of the left ventricul ar wail were decreased slightly. These results indicate that delapril can prevent the development of symptoms of hypertensive cardiovascular diseases: stroke, kidney dysfunction and cardiac hypertrophy, with an tihypertensive activity in SHRSP.