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.