Effect of dietary urea on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
The feeding of a normal diet containing 13.5% urea (in place of protein in a high protein diet) attenuated the development of severe hypertension and decreased the incidence of stroke in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), when 1% NaCl solution was given to them. The urea not only increased urine volume, but also increased urinary sodium excretion in SHR given 1% NaCl for drinking. Although there was no obvious difference in erythrocyte size between the urea and the control groups, there was a significant inverse correlation between plasma urea level and erythrocyte size. These results suggest that a high protein diet reduced blood pressure partly through the diuretic effect of urea, the common metabolite of various proteins.
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004231:Diuresis / Q000187:drug effects; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
D004044:Dietary Proteins; D014508:Urea; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium