Effect of allisartan on blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy through Kv1.5 channels in hypertensive rats

ABSTRACT

Background

The objective of the present work was to study the anti-hypertensive effect of allisartan on blood pressure (BP) and in facilitating left ventricular remodeling through voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) 1.5 channels.

Methods

A total of 30 SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, hypertension control group, and allisartan treatment group. Hypertension was induced by renal artery stenosis. The animals of treatment group were administered with allisartan once a day at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight through an oral gavage for 4 weeks. The heart function of animals post 4 weeks of treatment was evaluated by echocardiography, and the degree of ventricular hypertrophy and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy were evaluated by histomorphology. The expression of Kv1.5 is detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction while Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression.

Results

Four weeks after renal artery stenosis, a significant difference was observed in the whole heart ratio, left heart ratio, and cardiomyocyte area between allisartan treatment group and the hypertension control group (P< .01). A significant decrease in BP of allisartan treatment group compared to hypertension control group (P< .01) was observed. The expression of Kv1.5 mRNA was increased significantly (P< .01) in allisartan treatment group compared to hypertension control group. Western blot analysis also confirmed the increased expression of Kv1.5 channel.

Conclusion

The results showed that allisartan lowers BP and improves left ventricular remodeling through increased expression of Kv1.5 mRNA.

KEYWORDS:

• Renal artery stenosis hypertension
• potassium channel
• left ventricular hypertrophy
• hypertension
• allisartan

Acknowledgments

We thank Central laboratory, Southern Medical University affiliated Fengxian Hospital (Shanghai, China) for providing a research platform. The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Satya Lavanya Jakki, Dr. Kaushik Subramanian and Dr. Amit Bhat (Indegene, Pvt Ltd) for medical writing and editorial assistance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

Conception/design of the work: Chunfang Xu, Zhiqiang Yan and Xiaoqin Zhang. Acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data: Chunfang Xu, Ziying Zhao, Wang Yuan, Fengping Zhao. Drafting/revising of the manuscript: Chunfang Xu, Zhiqiang Yan and Xiaoqin Zhang. Final approval for submission/publishing: All the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Fengxian District Science and Technology Project (20191209).