Reduced Renal Mass-Saline Hypertension

We examined the role of ouabainlike compound in reduced renal mass-saline hypertension using a population of rats immunized with ouabain. To develop ouabain-immunized rats, ouabain-bovine serum albumin conjugates were injected subcutaneously three times at 4-week intervals. Titer determinations were made 2 weeks after the third immunization, and rats with high titers were used in the study. Immunoglobulin G fractions from ouabain-immunized rats effectively inhibited the contractile response of guinea pig aorta to exogenous ouabain (150 nmol). Fourteen ouabain-immunized and seven nonimmunized control rats underwent subtotal nephrectomy. An additional eight ouabain-immunized and six nonimmunized rats served as sham-operated rats. Four groups of rats drank 1% Nad solution for 3 weeks, and systolic blood pressure was measured weekly by the tail-cuff method. Two groups of shamoperated rats remained normotensive. In contrast, two groups of subtotalty nephrectomized rats developed hypertension. However, among these rats, systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in ouabain-immunized rats than in nonimmunized rats (161±5 versus 180+3 [±SEM] mm Hg, P<.01). The decrease in blood pressure was accompanied by a significant inhibition of aortic hypertrophy (P<.05). These results indicate that chronic blockade of circulating ouabainlike compound partly ameliorates reduced renal mass-saline hypertension and suggest that circulating ouabainlike compound may be involved in the pathophysiology in this model of hypertension. (Hypertension. 1994j23[suppl I]:I-110-I-113.)