Ahmad S, Eisa A K
Department of Pharmacology, Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York 11201, USA.
Life Sci. 1998;63(26):2353-63. doi: 10.1016/s0024-3205(98)00524-4.
Recently, we have shown that chronic administration of N-Nitro-L-Arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase) precipitates stroke in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). Enalapril maleate, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor was shown to delay the onset of such stroke. In the present study, five groups of 4-week-old SHRSP were used. Three groups of SHRSP were made diabetic using streptozotocin (100 mg/kg i.p.). One week later, the SHRSP from groups I (non-diabetic) and III (diabetic) chronically received L-NAME (0.5 g/L) in saline as drinking water. Two SHRSP groups, II (non-diabetic) and IV (diabetic) received L-NAME (0.5 g/L) and enalapril maleate (20 mg/L) in saline as drinking water. Control SHRSP (group C; diabetic) received only saline to drink. SHRSP groups I and III developed stroke in 10+/-2 and 11+/-2 days, respectively. The average stroke-free period in groups II and IV was 19+/-2 and 28+/-2 days, respectively. Protective effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes disappeared when SHRSP drinking L-NAME and enalapril, concurrently received subcutaneous injections of insulin (2 units daily per 100 g rat). Present data suggest that experimental diabetes delays the onset of L-NAME-induced stroke in SHRSP only in the absence of angiotensin converting enzyme activity. In addition, diabetes-induced enhancement of stroke-protective effect of enalapril appears to be independent of reduction in mean and systolic blood pressures.
