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ABSTRACT
Salt-induced hypertension has been reported to be associated with several deleterious effects apart from the primary increase in blood pressure. The present study examined the modulating effects of antioxidants during salt loading on the cardiovascular and renal systems. Thirty Sprague Dawley male rats weighing between 120g and 140g were procured and grouped as follows; Group 1: control (received normal rat chow and tap water ad libitum); Group 2: had high salt diet of 8% NaCl (HS) alone, Group 3: HS + kolaviron (200mg/kg wt/day), group 4: HS + methylene blue, group 5: HS + Lisinopril (2.3mg/kg wt/day), Group 6: HS + ascorbic acid. The animals were handled according to the guidelines on the use of animals for experiments. Kolaviron was extracted from Garcinia kola by soxhlet extractor. Feeding and drug administration were done for a period of 6 weeks. 24 hours after the last administration animals were sacrificed using chloroform anaesthesia. Blood was withdrawn by cardiac puncture for the assessment of plasma eNOS, NADPH oxidase, creatinine and albumin. The kidney, lung and heart were weighed and organ weight index determined. The kidney was isolated for western blotting for eNOS and NADPH oxidase expression. The results showed down regulation of eNOS activity in the kidney of salt-induced hypertensive rats compared to the control and up regulation in the group fed with high salt diet in combination with Lisinopril. NADPH oxidase activity was upregulated in salt-induced hypertensive rats and down regulated in high salt combination with kolaviron and methylene blue. Salt-induced hypertension significantly increased urinary creatinine and decreased plasma level whereas albumin-creatinine ratio was significantly decreased compared with the control. Cardiac, lungs and renal index weights were significantly decreased in salt-induced hypertension and in all test groups in combination with salt except in kolaviron and ascorbic acid compared with the control. P < 0.05. In conclusion, salt hypertension may impair kidney function through tissue oxidative pathway apart from increase in blood. This effect may be ameliorated by antioxidative agents in diet.
