EFFECT OF CHRONIC BRADYKININ INFUSION ON ANGIOTENSIN-II HYPERTENSION IN RATS

In previous studies, we demonstrated that in ANG II-treated rats; prev ention of cardiac hypertrophy (CH) by enalapril was blunted by bradyki nin (BK) blockade by Hoe140. The putative role of BK was assessed by c hronic exogenous BK infusion and in 46 male Sprague-Dawley rats infuse d with ANG II. ANG II (200 ng/kg/min) alone and associated with BK at low (BKlow, 15 ng/hg/day), mid (BKmid, 100 ng/kg/day) and high doses ( BKhigh, 100 ng/kg/min) were delivered by Alzet osmotic pumps for 10 da ys and compared to control animals (Veh). Values of systolic arterial pressure (SAP, mmHg) in conscious rats and heart weight (HW, mg/g bw) at the end of the study are reported below. Results were submitted to ANOVA and are expressed as mean +/- SEM. [GRAPHICS] Bradykinin did not modify the development of HTA and CH. In conclusion, it is suggested that exogenous BK cannot prevent target-organ damage in this experimen tal model of HTA.