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(Hypertension. 1996;27:184-189.)
© 1996 American Heart Association, Inc.

Articles

L-Arginine Prevents Corticotropin-Induced Increases in Blood Pressure in the Rat

Steven W. Turner; Cheng Wen; Ming Li; Judith A. Whitworth

From the Department of Medicine, St George Hospital, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Correspondence to Prof J.A. Whitworth, Department of Medicine, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW 2217, Australia. E-mail jwhitworth@unsw.edu.au.

Abstract In this study we examined whether L-arginine treatment could prevent corticotropin (ACTH)–induced increases in blood pressure in the Sprague-Dawley rat. Sixty rats were randomly divided into six groups (n=10): sham injection, ACTH injection (0.5 mg/kg per day in divided doses), L-arginine (0.6%) in food plus sham injection, L-arginine plus ACTH treatment, D-arginine (0.6%) in food plus sham injection, and D-arginine plus ACTH. Systolic pressure, water intake, urine volume, body weight, plasma and urinary electrolytes, and serum corticosterone concentrations were measured. ACTH increased systolic pressure (from 127±2 to 165±6 mm Hg, P<.001), water intake, and urine volume and decreased body weight. L-Arginine reduced ACTH-induced blood pressure rises (130±3 mm Hg, P<.001) but had no effect on blood pressure in sham-treated rats. D-Arginine did not affect blood pressure in sham-treated rats, and systolic pressure in D-arginine+ACTH–treated rats was similar to that of ACTH-treated rats. L-Arginine decreased serum corticosterone concentrations in sham-treated rats (424±43 versus 238±25 ng/mL, P<.01), but D-arginine had no effect. However, both drugs decreased serum corticosterone concentrations in ACTH-treated rats (1071±117 versus 739±95 and 695±72 ng/mL for L- and D-arginine, respectively; both P<.05). As L-arginine but not D-arginine prevented ACTH-induced increases in blood pressure in Sprague-Dawley rats and both L- and D-arginine reduced serum corticosterone concentrations in ACTH-treated rats, the effects of L-arginine in preventing ACTH-induced hypertension were not simply a consequence of decreased corticosterone secretion.

Key Words: adrenocorticotropic hormone • arginine • blood pressure • rats • corticosterone • hypertension, experimental

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