Effect of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker on renal function, arterial blood pressure and parathyroid hormone related protein over expression in cadmium induced nephrotoxicity in adult male rats.

OBJECTIVE To study the possible effect of angiotensin II type 1 Receptor blocker (AT1 blocker) on renal function, arterial blood pressure and parathyroid hormone related protein over expression in cadmium induced nephrotoxicity in adult male rats. Forty five rats were divided randomly into a control (group I), group II, received cadmium chloride at a dose of 5 mg/kg/day, orally, for nine weeks, group III received telmisartan (TEL) treatment (1 mg/kg/day, orally) one week before cadmium administration and continued for ten weeks. RESULTS Telmisartan significantly reduced blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine levels which were increased significantly by cadmium. Telmisartan significantly suppressed lipid peroxidation, compensated deficits in the antioxidant defenses (super oxide dismutase (SOD) level and catalase activity), decreased the elevations of nitric oxide (NO) and cadmium ion concentrations in renal tissue observed in Cd-treated rats. Group III had a significant decrease of urinary levels of total protein, N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT) and urinary 8-isoprostanes than those of group II. Telmisartan decreased the systolic blood pressure significantly than those of group II. Histopathological examination revealed that cadmium-induced renal tissue damage was ameliorated by telmisartan treatment. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that telmisartan significantly decreased the cadmium-induced overexpression of parathyroid hormone receptor 1 (PTHR1) in renal tissue. RT-PCR analysis showed that Cd increased renal expression of PTHrP; however telmisartan could decrease the expression of PTHrP in group III. CONCLUSION Blocking AT1 receptors significantly decreases PTHrP over expression and ameliorates renal dysfunction in Cd induced nephrotoxicity. These data suggest that Ang II might contribute to pathophysiology and deleterious effects in cadmium nephrotoxicity.