Effects of a therapy with losartan and quinaprilat on the progression of chronic renal failure in rats after a single dose of uranyl nitrate or 5/6 nephrectomy.

The renoprotective effect of losartan and quinaprilat was tested in two different animal models of renal failure [female Wistar rats, single administration of 0.5 mg uranyl nitrate (UN)/100 g body wt. or 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6NX)]. Losartan (1 mg/100 g body weight [wt.]) and quinaprilat (1 mg/100 g body wt.) were administered intraperitoneally, once daily, starting 10 days after UN and one week after 5/6NX till the end of 10 weeks experimental period. Parameters characterizing the therapeutic effect were blood pressure, urinary protein excretion 4 and 10 weeks after the injury, and p-aminohippurate accumulation in renal cortical slices in vitro, hydroxy-proline concentration in renal tissue and morphology at the end of the experiment. Summarizing our results we state: (1) the angiotensin 1 receptor blocker losartan is more effective in UN-treated than in 5/6 NX rats, and (2) the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor quinaprilat is more effective than losartan because of the amelioration of blood pressure and OH-proline concentration in renal tissue of UN-treated rats.