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Hypertension, Vol 10, 484-487, Copyright © 1987 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Antihypertensive effects of an aromatase inhibitor in the spontaneously hypertensive rat

JC Melby, M Holbrook, GT Griffing and JO Johnston
Evans Memorial Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital, Boston University Medical Center, MA 02118-2393.

Recent studies from this laboratory have demonstrated that 19-nor- deoxycorticosterone, a potent mineralocorticoid, has been excreted in excess in the urine of young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Although urinary 19-nor-deoxycorticosterone levels decline before the onset of hypertension, preliminary evidence suggests that 19-nor- deoxycorticosterone is further oxygenated to other steroid products in older SHR. Since 19-hydroxylation is the essential first step in the formation of 19-nor-deoxycorticosterone from deoxycorticosterone and since the mechanism-based aromatase inhibitor 10-propargyl-androst-4- ene,3,17-dione preferentially inhibits 19-hydroxylation, this agent was administered to weanling SHR to determine whether inhibition of 19-nor- deoxycorticosterone formation could modify or prevent hypertension. Accordingly, either 10 mg of 10-propargyl-androst-4-ene,3,17-dione or vehicle (control) was injected daily for several weeks in 4.5 week-old SHR. Injection of 10-propargyl-androst-4-ene,3,17-dione reduced urinary free 19-nor-deoxycorticosterone and retarded the development of hypertension compared with the effect of vehicle injection (p less than 0.05). Mean blood pressure levels in SHR receiving 10-propargyl-androst- 4-ene,3,17-dione were lower than those in SHR receiving vehicle for each of the first 8 weeks of treatment (p less than 0.05). These data support the importance of 10-nor-corticosteroids in the pathogenesis of hypertension in SHR.

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