Critical Role of Angiotensin II in Excess Salt-Induced Brain Oxidative Stress of Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Background and Purpose— The detailed role of angiotensin II in salt-exacerbated stroke is unclear. We examined the role of angiotensin II in salt-accelerated stroke of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). Methods— Salt-loaded SHRSP were orally given the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker candesartan (0.3 to 3 mg/kg per day) and calcium channel blocker amlodipine (1 mg/kg per day), and the effects on stroke (n=61) and brain superoxide were compared between them. We also examined the effect of angiotensin II infusion (200 ng/kg per min) on brain superoxide production and blood–brain barrier. Results— Despite the comparable hypotensive effect between candesartan and amlodipine, candesartan prolonged survival of salt-loaded SHRSP much more than amlodipine (P<0.01), being associated with more improvement of cerebral arteriolar thickening, cerebral arteriolar cell proliferation, and hippocampal CA1 neuronal cell reduction (1024.9±20.6 versus 724.9±22.8 cells/mm2; P<0.01; n=7 to 10 in ...