Hypotensive effect of angiotensin II after AT1-receptor blockade with losartan

Recent data suggest that hypotensive effect of losartan may not be attributed solely to AT1-receptor blockade, but also to excessive AT2 or other receptors stimulation by elevated angiotensin II and its derivative peptides. Therefore in the present study we examined the effect of angiotensin II on mean blood pressure after AT -receptor blockade with losartan. Male Wistar rats were anaesthetised and received injection of either losartan (30 mg/kg, 1 ml/kg, i.v.) or saline (the same volume and route) followed by bolus injection of angiotensin II (100, 300 or 1,000 ng/kg; 1 ml/kg, i.v.) or 1-hour infusion of angiotensin II (200 ng/kg/min; 2.5 ml/kg/h, i.v.). Control animals received saline instead. Angiotensin II, given either as the injection or the infusion, caused an evident increase in mean blood pressure (p ranged from 0.05 to 0.001 depending on the experimental group). Losartan caused a rapid drop in mean blood pressure and blunted the hypertensive effect of angiotensin II (p < 0.01). Moreover, in the losartan-pretreated animals the hypotensive phase was enhanced by the infusion, but not single injection of angiotensin II, which was most evident from the 30 th minute of observation (p < 0.05 vs control). In conclusion, hypotensive effect of losartan may be amplified by simultaneous increase in angiotensin II level, the situation observed during chronic AT1-receptor blockade.