Renal cortex remodeling in nitric oxide deficient rats treated with enalapril

The kidney NO synthase is one of the most important renal controlling systems. This paper aims the quantification of renal cortical components involved in blood pressure regulation under NOs blockade. Spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs) are submitted to chronic blockade of NOs by L‐nitro‐arginine‐methyl‐ester (L‐NAME) and an ACE inhibitor (enalapril) in comparison with the normotensive Wistar rats. Twenty SHRs and 5 Wistar rats were divided in 5 groups and observed for 21 days for blood pressure (BP) and serum creatinine: control Wistar (5) (C‐W), control SHR (5) (C‐SHR), L‐SHR (5) ‐ received L‐NAME 30 mg/kg/day, L+E‐SHR (5) ‐ received L‐NAME and Enalapril maleate 15 mg/kg/day, E‐SHR (5) ‐ received Enalapril maleate. A quantitative morphometric study (glomerular density, Q A [g1], interstitium volume density, Vv[i], tubular surface and length densities, Sv[t] and Lv[t]) were performed at the end. The BP reached 226±15 mmHg in L‐SHR group. The BP difference between the L‐SHR and the C‐SHR groups was significant from the first week while the E‐SHR group became significant from the second week. At the end of the experiment the BP of the E‐SHR group was similar to the BP in the C‐W group. The Q A [g1] was similar among C‐SHR, L‐SHR and L+E‐SHR groups and no difference was found between E‐SHR and C‐W groups. In the L‐SHRs serum creatinine was greatly increased, and microscopy showed thickening of arteriolar tunica media with an increase of the wall‐to‐lumen ratio, perivascular fibrosis, inflammatory infiltrated, tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. The use of enalapril was not completely efficient in reducing BP and morphological injury when the hypertension of SHRs was increased with the NOs blockade suggesting that NO deficiency‐induced hypertension is not entirely mediated by the RAAS.