Effect of captopril on pre-existing and aminonucleoside-induced proteinuria in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Proteinuria is a side effect of captopril treatment in hypertensive patients. The possibility of reproducing the same renal abnormality with captopril was examined in SHR. Oral administration of captopril at 100 mg/kg for 14 days failed to aggravate proteinuria pre-existing in SHR. Also, captopril treatment failed to potentiate or facilitate development of massive proteinuria invoked by puromycin aminonucleoside in SHR. Captopril had little or no demonstrable effects on serum electrolyte concentrations, excretion of urine, sodium and potassium, endogenous creatinine clearance, body weight, and food and water consumption. However, ketone bodies were consistently present in urine and several lethalities occurred during multiple dosing of captopril in SHR.