Increased sensitivity to diltiazem hypotensive effect in an experimental model of high-renin hypertension

• Published in: Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology Vol. 61; no. 1; pp. 79 - 87
• Main Authors: Bertera, Facundo M., Mayer, Marcos A., Opezzo, Javier A.W., Taira, Carlos A., Höcht, Christian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-01-2009
• Subjects: Algorithms; Animals; Antihypertensive Agents - blood; Antihypertensive Agents - pharmacokinetics; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; aortic coarctation rats; Area Under Curve; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Calcium Channel Blockers - administration & dosage; Calcium Channel Blockers - pharmacokinetics; Calcium Channel Blockers - therapeutic use; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; diltiazem; Diltiazem - blood; Diltiazem - pharmacokinetics; Diltiazem - therapeutic use; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Heart Rate - drug effects; Hypertension - blood; Hypertension - drug therapy; Hypertension - physiopathology; hypotensive effect; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Microdialysis; pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Renin - blood; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0022-3573; 2042-7158
• DOI: 10.1211/jpp.61.01.0011

Objectives The aim of this work was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic properties of diltiazem in an experimental model of high‐renin hypertension, such as the aortic coarctated (ACo) rat, to further characterize the responsiveness of this model to calcium channel blockers.
Methods A ‘shunt’ microdialysis probe was inserted in a carotid artery of anaesthetized ACo and control sham‐operated (SO) rats for simultaneous determination of diltiazem plasma concentrations and their effects on mean arterial pressure and heart rate after the intravenous application of 3 and 6 mg/kg of the drug. Correlation between plasma levels and cardiovascular effects was established by fitting the data to a modified Emax model.
Key findings Volume of distribution was greater in ACo than in SO rats. Diltiazem plasma clearance (Cl) was significantly greater in ACo rats than in normotensive SO rats after administration of diltiazem (6 mg/kg). Moreover, Cl increased with dose in ACo but not in SO rats. No differences were observed in the maximal bradycardic effect comparing both experimental groups, and sensitivity (S0) to diltiazem chronotropic effect was similar comparing SO and ACo rats. Differences were not found in the maximal response of the hypotensive effect comparing SO and ACo rats, but the S0 to diltiazem hypotensive effect was greater in ACo rats than in SO rats.
Conclusions ACo induced profound changes in diltiazem pharmacokinetic behaviour. In addition, our results suggested an increased sensitivity to diltiazem blood pressure lowering effect in experimental renovascular hypertension with high‐renin levels.