Effects of long- term treatment with ketanserin on blood pressure variability and end- organ damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats

It has been proposed that instability of blood pressure m ay produce organ damage.Ketanserin is an anti- hy- pertensive drug with an ability to reduce blood pressure variability(BPV) in acute experiments in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs) .The present work was designed to observe the effects of long- term treatment with ketanserin on BPV and end- organ damage in SHRs.Ketanserin was mixed in rat chow at an estim ated dose of1 0 m g/kg/d.After5 m onths of drug ad- ministration,BP was continuously recorded in conscious,freely m oving rats for2 4 h.The heart,kidneys,and abdominal aorta were then isolated and examined by using histologic methods and computer im age analysis.In another work,the effects of hydralazine(4 0 m g/kg/d,for5 months) on BP,BPV,and organ damage were observed in SHRs.Ketanserin significantly decreased BP and BPV,am eliorated impaired arterial baroreflex function,and significantly prevented the target organs of SHRs from being dam aged.This preventive effect was characterized by decrease in left ventricular hypertrophy,dim inution of glom erulus dam age,and am elioration in vascular lesion.Hydralazine decreased BP but did not lower BPV.No organ protec- tion was found in hydralazine- treated rats.In conclusion,long- term treatment with ketanserin reduced hypertensive organ damage.L owering BP,decreasing BPV,and am eliorating arterial baroreflex function may contribute together to this effect