title: The effects of dietary potassium on vascular and glomerular lesions in hypertensive rats.
abstract: The present study examines the effects of dietary potassium (K) on hypertensive glomerular and vascular lesions in deoxycorticosterone acetate and salt induced (DOCA-salt) and two kidney one clip (2K1C) hypertensive as well as normotensive control rats. Animals received a regular (0.28% K), high (1.1% K) or low (0.07% K) potassium diet for 6 weeks. In control rats, low K diet significantly increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p < 0.05). In DOCA-salt rats, high K diet did not modify SBP or glomerular and vascular lesions while low K diet significantly increased premature death in these rats. In 2K1C rats, dietary K did not alter the blood pressure, but percentage media area (% media) of intramyocardial arteries, percentage of glomerular lesions, and renal arterial and arteriolar lesion scores were lower in high K diet rats than regular and low K diet rats (p < 0.05). This study is the first demonstration that high K diet can protect against vascular and glomerular lesions in a non salt-loaded hypertensive model. The beneficial effects of dietary K on vascular lesions are at least in part independent of changes in blood pressure, and may be renin related.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, St George Hospital, University of New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: M X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kincaid-Smith
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Whitworth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006978:Hypertension, Renovascular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D017419:Potassium, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D017419:Potassium, Dietary; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium