title: Effect of eplerenone, a selective aldosterone blocker, on the development of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetic rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aldosterone antagonists are reported to have beneficial effects on diabetic nephropathy by effective blocking of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. We investigated the renoprotective effect of the selective aldosterone receptor blocker eplerenone, the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor lisinopril, and combined eplerenone and lisinopril treatment in type 2 diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  ANIMALS WERE DIVIDED INTO SIX GROUPS AS FOLLOWS: Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat control, OLETF rats treated with a low dose of eplerenone (50 mg/kg/day), OLETF rats treated with a high dose of eplerenone (200 mg/kg/day), OLETF rats treated with lisinopril (10 mg/kg/day), OLETF rats treated with a combination of both drugs (eplerenone 200 mg/kg/day and lisinopril 10 mg/kg/day), and obese non-diabetic Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka rats for 26 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Urinary albumin excretion was significantly lower in the lisinopril group, but not in the eplerenone group. Urinary albumin excretion was decreased in the combination group than in the lisinopril group. Glomerulosclerosis and renal expression of type I and type IV collagen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, transforming growth factor-β1, connective tissue growth factor, and fibronectin mRNA were markedly decreased in the lisinopril, eplerenone, and combination groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eplerenone and lisinopril combination showed additional benefits on type 2 diabetic nephropathy compared to monotherapy of each drug.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Ho Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Myong Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Yoon Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hae Yoon
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Chai Ryoung
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Eun
authors.forename: Sae Jeong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hye Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Hee Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Sin Gon
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung Mook
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sei Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Baik
authors.forename: Dong Seop
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Nan Hee
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim