Haematological influences of potassium adaptation in normotensive and renally-hypertensive Wistar rats.
Dietary potassium is known to cause reduction in blood pressure in several models of hypertension in human and animal studies but its haematological effects are not known. Here, experiments are designed to study the haematological effects of potassium adaptation (achieved by administering 0.75% KCl solution in drinking water for five weeks) in Wistar rats. The animals are divided into four groups comprising controls, potassium-adapted, renal hypertensive, and renal hypertensive with later adaptation to potassium. Packed cell volume (PCV) and platelet count (PC), whole blood and plasma viscosities, and platelet aggregation in the presence of sodium nitroprusside, levcromakalim, and glibenclamide, are studied. Results showed comparable PCV and PC in all groups. While relative whole blood viscosity was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the hypertensive group, relative plasma viscosity was similar in all groups. Adaptation significantly reduced (P<0.05) the tendency of platelets to aggregate to collagen. Sodium nitroprusside significantly reduced (P<0.05) the pro-aggregatory effects of collagen only in the control group. Neither of the potassium-channel modulators (levcromakalim, glibenclamide) caused any significant alteration in platelet response to collagen at the concentrations studied. Although these results suggest that potassium adaptation may not affect haemorheology, the reduced ability of platelets to aggregate--by mechanisms not clearly understood--has implications for reduced thromboembolism and the attendant cardiovascular sequelae.
Ozolua
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Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. ozolua@uniben.edu
Omogbai
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Famodu
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Ebeigbe
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Ajayi
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D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D018056:Hemorheology / Q000187:drug effects; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D017419:Potassium, Dietary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D017419:Potassium, Dietary