5 research outputs found
Effect of Combination Therapy with a Calcium Channel Blocker and an Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor on Renal Hypertrophy and Urinary Albumin Excretion in Diabetic Rats
The objective of this study was to compare the effect
of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and
a calcium channel blocker on the development of renal
changes in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by an intravenous
injection of streptozotocin in normotensive Wistar
rats. Treatment was commenced immediately in 1 set of
rats with 4 treatment arms: nitrendipine (250 mg/kg fodder),
enalapril (35 mg/L drinking water), both treatments
in combination, or placebo. Treatment was continued for 9
weeks. Another set of rats was left with untreated diabetes
for 3 months followed by 7 weeks treatment as above. When
starting treatment right after induction of diabetes, nitrendipine
significantly reduced urinary albumin excretion
(UAE) to the nondiabetic level (P < .05) without reducing
blood pressure (BP), whereas enalapril failed to significantly reduce UAE despite a reduction in BP. Combining the
two treatments showed no further reduction in UAE compared
to monotherapy with nitrendipine, despite a lower
BP. When leaving diabetic rats untreated for 3 months, only
the coadministration of nitrendipine and enalapril showed
a significant reduction in UAE compared to monotherapy
and placebo treatment, but showed no significant effect
on BP