Antihypertensive effect of trandolapril and verapamil in rats with inducedhypertension

The antihypertensive effect of long-term treatment (6 months) with placebo (as control), verapamil, trandolapril, and their combination (verapamil plu s trandolapril) was investigated in Wistar rats rendered hypertensive by ex tensive renal mass ablation, as a model lacking genetic hypertensive determ inants. Arterial pressure was monitored during treatment and at the end, ao rtic structure and functionality were investigated. Trandolapril and the co mbination prevented the increase in pressure observed in the control group after renal handicap, whereas verapamil was much less effective. Trandolapr il and the combination were similarly effective, whereas verapamil was inef fective, or even deleterious, at reducing aortic lamina media hypertrophy, the wall-to-lumen ratio, lamina media cross-sectional area, potassium chlor ide-induced contraction, and at increasing acetylcholine relaxation. The re sponse to noradrenaline decreased in the trandolapril group, increased in t he verapamil group, and remained unmodified in the association group. In co nclusion, treatment with trandolapril exerts beneficial antihypertensive ac tions in this model of induced hypertension, showing continuous control of blood pressure and prevention of structural and functional alteration of th e aorta. Verapamil exerts weak control of arterial pressure and produces, i f any, deleterious effects on the structure and function of the aorta. Thes e negative effects of verapamil are overcome by coadministration of trandol april.