title: Beneficial effects of Renin-Angiotensin system blockers on testicular steroidogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated whether antihypertensive drugs that act through the renin-angiotensin system would affect testis function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten mice were fed standard chow and 40 received a high energy density diet. At 8 weeks the high energy density diet mice were divided into 4 groups of 10 each. The untreated group received the high energy density diet alone. The 3 treated groups received that diet plus aliskiren (50 mg/kg daily), enalapril (30 mg/kg daily) and losartan (10 mg/kg daily), respectively, for the next 6 weeks. Blood pressure was measured twice monthly. At the end of the treatment period all mice were sacrificed. One-way ANOVA and the Holm-Sidak post hoc test were used to analyze results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The high energy density diet led to a significant increase in blood pressure (p <0.05). All treatments resulted in normalized blood pressure. In regard to reproductive function, and serum testosterone and estradiol the gene and protein expression of StAR, aromatase and luteinizing hormone receptor, and the protein expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme, renin and angiotensin type 1 receptor blocker were significantly decreased by the high energy density diet. Of the treatments only enalapril reverted the changes. Also, angiotensin-converting enzyme, angiotensin type 1 receptor blocker and renin protein expression were lower in all high energy density diet groups except the group that received enalapril.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor reverted the hormonal and testis alterations caused by the high energy density diet. This suggests that enalapril should be the drug of choice for a patient who presents with previous reproductive dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, Biomedical Center, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jorge Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Alves-Pereira
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, Biomedical Center, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eliete Dalla Corte
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Frantz
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Morphometry, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, Biomedical Center, Institute of Biology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: cristiane@pesquisador.cnpq.br.
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: da Fonte Ramos
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D004656:Enalapril / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein; D004656:Enalapril
keywords: diet; enalapril; hypercholesterolemia; hypertension; testis