HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor affects blood pressure and vascular reactivity.
1. To investigate the effect of endogenous cholesterol synthesis on blood pressure and vascular response, a HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, pravastatin (1 or 10 mg/kg) was administered orally for 2 or 4 weeks to 8-13 week old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR/Izm) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY/Izm) rats. 2. Blood pressure was significantly increased in the pravastatin-treated groups of both strains, but the elevation was observed in WKY after a longer treatment than in SHR. 3. After the thoracic aorta from 10-12 week old SHR and WKY was pretreated with pravastatin (10(-4) mol/L), the vascular response to norepinephrine was increased in pravastatin-treated SHR aorta but not in the WKY aorta in both contractivity and sensitivity. 4. These experiments suggest that the vascular response is affected by intracellular cholesterol synthesis pathway.
Li
N
N
Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Japan.
Sawamura
M
M
Nara
Y
Y
Kizawa
K
K
Ikeda
K
K
Usui
H
H
Kurahasi
K
K
Yamori
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D017035:Pravastatin