Lipopolysaccharide Reverses Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone-Induced Hypertension in the Rat

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Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to stimulate nitric oxide (NO) release and investigate the effect of endogenous NO on adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)-induced hypertension in rats. After preliminary studies to determine the appropriate dose of LPS, 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with ACTH (200 μg/kg/day, s.c.) or saline (sham) for 8 days and then given a single dose of LPS (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. ACTH treatment was continued for a further 5 days. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured daily using the tail cuff method. Results were expressed as the mean±SEM. ACTH treatment significantly increased SBP (from 105±3 to 129±4 mmHg; p <0.05), whereas saline had no effect on SBP. The ACTH-induced increase in SBP was reversed by LPS injection (from 125±6 to 102±7 mmHg; p <0.05). SBP was also decreased in sham + LPS-treated rats compared with that of sham + saline-treated rats (p <0.05), but the SBP change in response to LPS was greater in ACTH-treated than in sham-treated rats (-23 vs. -8 mmHg; p <0.05). These data are compatible with the notion that reduced NO availability plays a role in ACTH-induced hypertension. (Hypertens Res 2003; 26: 427-432)