The present study was aimed at investigating the role of type II 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (IIβ-HSD II) in the development of hypertension. Two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C), deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)/salt, or N (G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) hypertension was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Four weeks later, the expression of 11β-HSD II mRNA was determined in the kidn...

We assessed changes in tissue and plasma adrenomedullin levels in two-kidney, one-clip renovascular hypertensive rats. Four weeks after clipping, adrenomedullin concentrations were significantly higher in the cardiac ventricles and lower in the left atrium than the respective values in sham-operated rats. The left ventricular adrenomedullin concentration significantly correlated with systolic b...

Control rats and rats with experimental renal hypertension due to unilateral stenosis of one renal artery received a standard diet (0.23% sodium) and a sodium-deficient diet (0.004% sodium), alternately, during which time blood pressure and plasma renin activity were determined. At the end of the experiment, renin content of the kidneys was measured. In normotensive control rats, the sodium-def...

The possibility that central mineralocorticoid binding sites are involved in the development of mineralocorticoid hypertension was examined using chronic blockade of these sites with a specific mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist RU 28318 administered by intracerebroventricular (icv) infusion. The antagonist significantly attenuated the development of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt h...

Proliferation, migration, and the phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play an important role in remodeling induced by hypertension. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), active ingredient Astragalus membranaceus, has been shown to exert a beneficial cardiovascular disease. The present study aimed investigate mechanism responsible for protective effects AS-IV on hypertension-induced re...