Thromboxane A2 in severe hypertension and stroke in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

Thromboxane A2 is a prostanoid having potent platelet aggregatory and vasoconstrictor properties. To determine a possible role for thromboxane A2 in the development of severe hypertension and stroke, we chronically administered the selective thromboxane A2 synthase inhibitor UK-38,485 (Dazmegrel) to stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). Serum thromboxane B2 (the stable hydrolysis product of thromboxane A2) generation was significantly greater in incubates of whole blood from SHRSP than in those from normotensive control Wistar-Kyoto rats and was inhibited greater than 89% by UK-38,485 administered in vivo. In 10 male SHRSP fed a Japanese-style rat chow and given 1% NaCl in drinking water to accelerate the occurrence of stroke, treatment with 100 mg/kg/day UK-38,485 by gavage starting at 8.6 weeks of age diminished systolic blood pressure elevation at 10 (205 +/- 2 vs. 220 +/- 4 mm Hg, p less than 0.01) and 11 weeks of age (210 +/- 4 vs. 239 +/- 7 mm Hg, p less than 0.01) compared with 10 untreated SHRSP. The ultimate establishment of severe hypertension was not prevented by UK-38,485. Stroke-related mortality was 70% in both UK-38,485-treated and control SHRSP at 14 weeks of age. Histologic examination revealed cerebrovascular lesions consistent with the occurrence of stroke in both control and UK-38,485-treated SHRSP. Our results support a possible role for thromboxane A2 in the elevation of blood pressure in SHRSP but do not support a possible role for the prevention of stroke by thromboxane A2 synthase inhibition in these rats.