title: Deuterium oxide normalizes blood pressure and vascular calcium uptake in Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rats.
abstract: This study examined the effect of 25% deuterium oxide in drinking water on systolic blood pressure, uptakes of calcium, and rubidium 86 by aortas of Dahl salt-sensitive rats on 0.4% (low) and 8% (high) sodium chloride (salt) diet. Twenty-four rats were divided into four groups. Groups I and II were on the low salt diet and groups III and IV on the high salt diet from 6 weeks of age. Additionally, at 10 weeks of age groups I and III were placed on 100% water and groups II and IV on 25% deuterium oxide. At 14 weeks, systolic blood pressure, uptakes of calcium, and rubidium 86 by aortas were significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in rats on the high salt diet as compared with those on the low salt diet. Deuterium oxide intake normalized systolic blood pressure and aortic calcium uptake but not aortic rubidium 86 uptake in hypertensive rats on the high salt diet. Deuterium oxide had no effect on blood pressure or aortic calcium uptake in rats on the low salt diet. The parallel increase in systolic blood pressure and vascular calcium uptake suggests that increased calcium uptake mechanisms are associated with hypertension in salt-sensitive Dahl rats. Furthermore, deuterium oxide appears to normalize elevated blood pressure in salt-sensitive hypertensive rats by normalizing elevated vascular (aortic) calcium uptake.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, General Hospital, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vasdev
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Prabhakaran
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sampson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003903:Deuterium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017666:Deuterium Oxide; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014867:Water / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D003903:Deuterium; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D017666:Deuterium Oxide; D002118:Calcium