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(Hypertension. 1998;31:678-683.)
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.

Scientific Contributions

Persistent Reduction in Renal Nerve Growth Factor mRNA After Perindopril Treatment of Young Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Fadi J. Charchar; Miroslav Kapuscinski; ; Stephen B. Harrap

From the Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville (F.J.C., S.B.H.), and the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Alfred Hospital, Prahran (M.K.), Victoria, Australia.

Correspondence to Stephen B. Harrap, Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. E-mail s.harrap{at}physiology.unimelb.edu.au

Abstract—Nerve growth factor (NGF) determines sympathetic innervation of target tissues, and NGF levels are increased in young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Angiotensin can affect NGF levels, and the persistent reduction in blood pressure after brief angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in young SHR may involve long-term changes in NGF and sympathetic innervation. We measured the relative abundance of renal NGF mRNA by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction in SHR during and after treatment from 6 to 10 weeks of age with vehicle, perindopril (3 mg/kg per day), the bradykinin B₂ antagonist Hoe 140 (0.5 mg/kg per day), both perindopril and Hoe 140, or angiotensin II (Ang II; 200 ng/kg per minute). Glomerular filtration rates were estimated at 10 and 20 weeks of age. At 10 weeks of age, Ang II caused a significant (P<.01) increase and perindopril caused a significant (P<.01) decrease in renal NGF mRNA levels. Blockade of the bradykinin B₂ receptor during perindopril treatment attenuated (P<.05) the reduction in NGF mRNA levels. Renal NGF mRNA (P=.005) and blood pressure (P<.001) remained significantly lower than control 10 weeks after perindopril treatment was stopped. The partial reduction in blood pressure at 20 weeks of age in rats that had received perindopril and Hoe 140 was not associated with any difference in renal NGF mRNA. Perindopril-induced long-term reduction in renal NGF mRNA levels may decrease sympathetic innervation and thereby contribute to the long-term posttreatment blood pressure reduction.

Key Words: nerve growth factor • angiotensin-converting enzyme • sympathetic nervous system • bradykinin • genetics

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