Preventive effect of angiotensin I on weight reduction in the adrenal glands of DOCA/salt hypertensive rats.

We examined the effect of angiotensin I (AI), without the effect of angiotensin II (AII) converted from AI, on the weight of the adrenal glands, adrenal corticosterone (B) and adrenal aldosterone under conditions where the renin-angiotensin system was suppressed, since a reduction in the size of the adrenal glands is often observed in DOCA/salt hypertensive rats. Sixty male Wistar rats fed on a 1% NaCl solution were divided into 6 groups as follows: a) Salt group: received sesame oil and vehicle, b) Salt + C group: received sesame oil and MK422 (0.14 mg/day), an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (CEI), c) DOCA group: received DOCA (30 mg/week) and vehicle, d) DOCA + A group: received DOCA and AI (0.5 mg/kg/day), e) DOCA + A + C group: received DOCA and AI with MK422, and f) DOCA + C group: received DOCA and MK422. After 4 weeks, the rats were sacrificed to sample their blood and remove their adrenal glands. There was no significant difference in adrenal B among the groups apart from the DOCA + C group. Adrenal aldosterone was lower in the groups of DOCA/salt hypertensive rats than in the Salt group and Salt + C group. Furthermore, the DOCA + A + C group and DOCA + C group had lower adrenal aldosterone levels than the DOCA group and DOCA + A group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)