TY - JOUR T1 - Prehypertensive preconditioning improves adult antihypertensive and cardioprotective treatment JF - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther DO - 10.1124/jpet.109.161075 SP - jpet.109.161075 AU - Marcus Baumann AU - Daniel Sollinger AU - Marcel Roos AU - Jens Lutz AU - Uwe Heemann Y1 - 2009/01/01 UR - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2009/11/10/jpet.109.161075.abstract N2 - Transient prehypertensive treatment (TPT) causes prolonged antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects. Reduced angiotensin sensitivity has been attributed to those effects. We hypothesize that prehypertensive preconditioning by angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) blockade improves cardiovascular protection of late-onset AT1R blockade in a model of spontaneous hypertensive heart-failure rats (SHHF/Mcc-facp). TPT (4-8 weeks of age) consisted of AT1R blockade (5mg/kg/ candesartan) or vehicle. Candesartan pretreated SHHF (5mg/kg/day candesartan; week 4-8) received during adulthood (20-28 weeks of age) either candesartan at a dose of 1.5, 5mg/kg/day or vehicle. Vehicle pretreated SHHF received either candesartan (5mg/kg/day) or vehicle during adulthood. Blood pressure telemetry and longitudinal echocardiography were performed between weeks 20-28. Final examination included cardiac and vascular morphometry and measurement of the AT1R signaling and receptor internalization (ATRAP). Combined juvenile and adult AT1R blockade caused lower mean arterial pressure (MAP) than adult AT1R blockade alone (84±5 versus 97±5 mmHg; P<0.05). Cardiac and vascular hypertrophy was lower, respectively. Juvenile treatments were associated with a reduced cardiovascular AT1R expression and enhanced ATRAP expression. Combined juvenile and a reduced adult AT1R blockade resulted in similar MAP when compared to adult AT1R blockade alone (92±3 versus 97±5 mmHg). We conclude that prehypertensive preconditioning improves adult treatment effects in SHHF. Those effects correlate with reduced cardiovascular AT1R expression and enhanced receptor internalization suggesting reduced angiotensin sensitivity in pretreated SHHF. Moreover, preconditioning allows a reduction of adult AT1R blockade without loss of protection. Therefore prehypertensive preconditioning may offer a tool to improve treatment efficacy in humans.The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics ER -