Glomerular and vascular lesions in DOCA-salt hypertension: the role of anticoagulation

The aim of the present experiments was to determine if anticoagulant and antithrombotic drugs, which protect against hypertension and vascular damage in some models of hypertension, have a similar effect in DOCA-salt hypertension. Unilaterally nephrectomized rats received injections of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) and 1% saline to drink and were treated with either heparin, defibrotide, low molecular weight (LMW) heparin or vehicle (control) for five and a half weeks. At sacrifice heparin treated rats had decreased hematocrit (p less than 0.001) and prolonged APTT (p less than 0.001). LMW heparin and defibrotide groups did not differ from control animals in either hematocrit or APTT. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) of heparin treated rats at sacrifice was lower than control (p less than 0.05) but, there were no other differences in SBP throughout the course of the experiment. Renal morphology revealed a lower number of glomerular epithelial cell droplets in the heparin group (p less than 0.01) only. Vascular damage did not differ significantly between groups.