[Effects of captopril on the tissue nitric oxide synthase in off spring from treated pregnant SHRs].
OBJECTIVE
To further clarify the anti-hypertensive mechanism of captopril and explore a new method for earlier prevention and treatment of hypertension, we studied the effects on tissue nitric oxide/nitric oxide synthase (NO/NOS) of the descendants of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) by earlier captopril treatment.


METHODS
After the pregnant SHR was treated by captopril (100 mg.kg-1.d-1), the systolic blood pressure (SBP), NOS activity and expression of inducible and constitutive NOS (iNOS and cNOS) in brain cortex, renal cortex, heart ventricle of their descendant were detected by tail-cuff sphyg-momanometer, liquid scintillation and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method respectively.


RESULTS
Compared with that of non-treated SHR, SBP of treated SHR was decreased (P < 0.01) and NOS activity of renal cortex, heart ventricle, iNOS expression of brain cortex, cNOS expression of renal cortex, heart ventricle significantly increased (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggested that earlier captopril treatment could increase NOS activity and expression in different tissues of SHR, which might be a new anti hypertensiven mechanism.
Chu
S
S
Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Shanghai Second Medical University.
Zhao
G
G
Li
D
D
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002216:Captopril; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase