Administration of telmisartan reduced systolic blood pressure and oxidative stress probably through the activation of PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway and NO release in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We investigated the effects of telmisartan, the blocker of angiotensin II receptor 1, on the regulation of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and oxidative stress through endothelial nitric oxide (NO) release in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). SHRs randomly received placebo, oral feeding of telmisartan (5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) every day and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs) served as normotensive control. The SBP of rat was measured before and weekly thereafter. After a total of 8-week treatment, rats were killed for experimental measurements. Parameters that subject to measurements in isolated aorta endothelial cells include: NO concentration, protein expression levels of angiotensin II receptor 1, nitrotyrosine, 8-isoprostane, SOD, PI3K, Akt, AMPK and eNOS. In addition, L-NMMA, a general inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, was also applied to test the inhibition of NO concentration. We found that SBPs were significantly lower in telmisartan therapy group than in placebo treated hypertensive rats and WKYs (p<0.05). The NO concentration was significantly higher in telmisartan-treated group with increased activity of the PI3K/Akt pathway and activated eNOS signaling. Blockade of Akt activity reversed such effects. Activation of AMPK also contributed to the phosphorylation of eNOS. L-NMMA treatment reduced less NO concentration in SHR rats than the telmisartan co-treated groups. Oxidative stress in SHRs was also attenuated by telmisartan administration, shown by reduced formation of nitrotyrosine, 8-isoprostane, and recovered SOD protein level. Telmisartan enhanced NO release by activating the PI3K/Akt system, AMPK phosphorylation and eNOS expression, which attenuated the blood pressure and oxidative stress in SHRs.