title: Effects of long-term treatment with candesartan on hemodynamics and organ damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate the effects of candesartan on blood pressure (BP) and blood pressure variability (BPV) reductions, baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) amelioration, and organ protection in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies were performed in two groups of SHR (n = 13 for control rats; and n = 20 for candesartan-treated rats) and one group of WKY rats (n = 13). Candesartan (3 mg /kg/d) was given in rat chow for 4 months. BP was then continuously recorded for 24 hours in conscious state. After the determination of BRS, rats were killed for organ-damage evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Long-term treatment with candesartan significantly reduced BP and BPV expressed by both standard deviation and variation coefficient of BP, enhanced BRS and produced obvious organ protection. Compared with BP level, BPV and BRS values showed a closer or similar relationship with organ-damage parameters in SHR. Multiple regression analysis showed that the decrease in left ventricular hypertrophy was most closely associated with the increase in BRS, whereas the decrease in aortic hypertrophy was most closely associated with the decrease in 24-hour systolic BPV, and the amelioration in renal lesions, with the increase in BRS and the decrease in 24-hour systolic BPV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  long-term treatment with candesartan results in organ protection in SHR. Besides BP reduction, the decrease in BPV and the restoration of BRS are significantly related to this organ protection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: He-Hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chao-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Fu-Ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Ding-Feng
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000187:drug effects; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013995:Time
chemical_list: D001562:Benzimidazoles; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D013777:Tetrazoles; C081643:candesartan