Decreased expression of angiotensin II type 1 and type 2 receptors in the brain after long-term administration of antihypertensive drugs in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat

Abstract

The present study examined the levels of Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) and type 2 receptor (AT2) in the brain stem and cerebral cortex of the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR-sp) after long-term treatment with three types of antihypertensive drugs: valsartan, enalapril, and amlodipine. In both tissues, expression of the AT1 was decreased by administration of each drug. Expression of the AT2 was decreased in the cerebral cortex by drug administration, but did not change in the brain stem. This study may contribute to elucidating the relationship between AT1 and AT2 expressions and the effect of antihypertensive drugs in SHR-sp brain. ©2008 The Japanese Pharmacological Society.