EFFECTS OF DELAYED TREATMENT WITH ENALAPRIL AND OR LOVASTATIN ON THE PROGRESSION OF GLOMERULOSCLEROSIS IN 5/6 NEPHRECTOMIZED RATS/

To evaluate the effect of delayed treatment with enalapril or lovastat in on the progression of glomerulosclerosis and to examine if the comb ined treatment with enalapril and lovastatin show synergistic effect, a total of 31 Sprague-Dawley rats were studied for 16 weeks following 5/6 nephrectomy (NPX). Treatment was delayed until 8 weeks after NPX. In untreated control rats (n=8), sustained systemic hypertension with increasing proteinuria, serum cholesterol, triglyceride, BUN and wides pread glomerulosclerosis and mesangial expansion were observed. Treatm ent with enalapril alone (R, n=8) reversed systemic hypertension, prev ented a further increase in proteinuria, and significantly reduced glo merulosclerosis relative to the control group. Treatment with lovastat in alone (L, n=7) also reduced glomerulosclerosis and serum cholestero l compared to the controls. The drug also prevented a further increase in proteinuria and systemic blood pressure although the difference fr om the control rats did not reach statistical significance. Treatment with both enalapril and lovastatin (RL, n=8) almost completely prevent ed glomerulosclerosis and significantly reduced mesangial expansion, s ystemic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and proteinuria compared to controls. Only the combined treatment stabilized BUN and reduced mesa ngial expansion compared to control R, or L groups. Conclusion. Delaye d treatment with enalapril or lovastatin is effective in preventing th e progression of glomerulosclerosis, and combined treatment appears to show synergistic effect in 5/6 nephrectomized rat model.