Antihypertensive action and inhibition of tissue converting enzyme (CE) by three prodrug CE inhibitors, enalapril, ramipril and perindopril in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The active diacids of the new converting enzyme (CE) inhibitors ramipril and perindopril proved to possess a similar inhibitory potency against rat plasma CE in vitro. Both diacids were more active than enalaprilic acid or captopril. In stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) chronic oral treatment for 2 weeks with enalapril (30 mg/kg per day), ramipril or perindopril (each 1 mg/kg normalized blood pressure. The CE inhibitor-induced changes in parameters of the plasma renin-angiotensin system [angiotensin I (ANG I), angiotensin II (ANG II), PRC and CE activity] followed the expected pattern, but were not quantitatively related to the antihypertensive action of the three CE inhibitors. Four weeks of oral equi-dose treatment with the three CE inhibitors (10 mg/kg per day) inhibited tissue CE activity in various organs including kidney, heart, vascular wall and brain. Ramipril and perindopril lowered blood pressure and tissue CE activity more potently than enalapril did. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that CE inhibition in tissue with subsequent local reduction of ANG II synthesis may contribute to the antihypertensive mechanisms of CE inhibitors.