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INFLUENCE OF LONG‐TERM TREATMENT WITH THE DIHYDROPYRIDINE‐TYPE CALCIUM ANTAGONIST NICARDIPINE ON RENAL MICROANATOMICAL CHANGES IN SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS
Author(s) -
Amenta Francesco,
Abbate Francesco,
Cavallotti Carlo,
Ciriaco Emilia,
Ferrante Fabio,
Sabbatini Maurizio
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1995.tb02942.x
Subject(s) - nicardipine , medicine , dihydropyridine , renal artery , tunica media , blood pressure , endocrinology , antagonist , kidney , glomerulosclerosis , calcium , proteinuria , carotid arteries , receptor
Summary 1. The influence of hypertension and treatment with the dihydropyridine‐type Ca 2+ antagonist, nicardipine, on the structure of the kidney was assessed in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) of 12 weeks of age. Treatment went for 8 weeks with a daily oral dose of 1 mg/kg of nicardipine. 2. Control SHR exhibited hypertension and microanatomical vascular and glomerular changes. Vascular changes consisted of a thickening of the tunica media and decreased luminal area of medium‐ and small‐sized intrarenal artery branches. Glomerular changes included glomerulosclerosis and atrophy of varying degrees. 3. Administration of nicardipine significantly reduced blood pressure. The drug also decreased the thickening of tunica media and luminal narrowing of renal artery branches as well as the degree of glomerular injury in SHR. 4. These data indicate that nicardipine treatment is able to control elevated blood pressure in SHR, and to counter hypertension‐dependent microanatomical impairment of the kidney. This suggests that the compound exerts a protective effect on hypertensive kidney.