Effect of indapamide on an experimental model of cerebral ischemia in hypertensive rats

This study quantified the immediate general hemodynamic events following the bilateral carotid ligation-induced cerebral ischemia in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats. The influence of treatment with indapamide was evaluated. In normotensive rats, hemodynamic values remained unchanged during the 10 minutes following the carotid ligation. In spontaneously hypertensive rats, arterial pressure values immediately and significantly (p less than 0.01) increased, up to 50 percent during the 10 minutes following the carotid ligation. Heart rate was unchanged. Indapamide at a short-term 3 mg/kg intraperitoneally, chosen in order to give a minimal (nonsignificant) antihypertensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats, significantly (p less than 0.01) reduced the bilateral carotid ligation-induced vasopressor response, whereas heart rate remained unchanged. The results presented here show that in spontaneously hypertensive rats, but not in normotensive rats, bilateral common carotid ligation induces an immediate and strong increase in arterial pressure values. These results compare with the previously described differences in cerebral ischemia-induced disorders in normotensive and hypertensive rats. Finally, indapamide, an antihypertensive agent that decreases vascular reactivity, significantly inhibits the carotid ligation-induced vasopressive response in hypertensive rats.