title: Telmisartan prevents excess-salt-induced exacerbated (malignant) hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: The effects of angiotensin receptor blocker, diuretic, a calcium antagonist, and their combination were evaluated on the progression of cardiovascular and renal damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) given excess salt. To this end, 8-week male SHRs were divided into 7 groups. The control group (C) received normal NaCl (0.6%) diet. All other groups were given 8% NaCl rat chow. In addition, group 2 was given placebo (tap water alone), group 3 the angiotensin receptor antagonist telmisartan (10 mg/kg per d), group 4 received the diuretic chlorothiazide (80 mg/kg per d), group 5 was given telmisartan plus the diuretic, group 6 was given the calcium antagonist amlodipine (10 mg/kg per d), and group 7 was given telmisartan plus amlodipine. All treatments lasted for 8 weeks. Compared with controls, mean arterial pressure (MAP), renal blood flow, coronary flow reserve, minimal coronary vascular resistance, diastolic time constant, and maximal rate of ventricular pressure fall were all adversely affected by salt loading. Increased left ventricular mass with marked cardiac fibrosis was also found in the salt-overloaded SHR group. Telmisartan normalized all indices except MAP, whereas diuretic and amlodipine only partially restored cardiac functional and mass indexes. Combination therapy with telmisartan and either diuretic or amlodipine also normalized all indices including arterial pressure. These data suggest that (1) cardiovascular  damage induced by excess salt in the SHRs was not pressure dependent; (2) compared with the calcium antagonist and diuretic, blockade of angiotensin receptors  was extremely effective in this model.
authors.affiliation: Hypertension Research Laboratory, Institute for Translational Research, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA 70121, USA. dsusic@ochsner.org
authors.forename: Dinko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Susic
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fares
authors.forename: Edward D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Frohlich
mesh_terms: D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001565:Benzoates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000633:toxicity*; D000077333:Telmisartan
chemical_list: D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D001565:Benzoates; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D000077333:Telmisartan