Different effects of antihypertensive agents on cardiac and vascular hypertrophy in the transgenic rat line TGR(mRen2)27

The hypertensive transgenic rat model TGR(mRen2)27 has been used to investi gate the development of cardiac and vascular hypertrophy in response to two different drug regimes. Cardiac hypertrophy was shown to be related to age and gender with the copy number of mouse renin transgenes having an additi ve effect. A similar observation was noted for hypertrophy in the vasculatu re, which was assessed using now cytometry cell cycle DNA analysis of aorti c vascular smooth muscle cells. Chronic treatment from weaning with equihyp otensive doses of perindopril (2 mg/kg/day) or hydralazine and hydrochlorot hiazide (4 mg/day of each) prevented the development of cardiac hypertrophy . Perindopril treatment also effectively prevented the development of vascu lar hypertrophy; however, treatment with hydralazine and hydrochlorothiazid e was not as effective despite equivalent blood pressure reduction. These s tudies have demonstrated the presence of marked vascular and cardiac hypert rophy in the hypertensive transgenic TGR(mRen2)27 model of hypertension. Fu rthermore, these results provide new evidence to support the role of a loca lly activated renin angiotensin system in the blood vessel wall, which is i nvolved in the pathogenesis of vascular hypertrophy in this transgenic rat model. (C) 1999 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.