The effects of nicergoline on spontaneously hypertensive rats and their offspring

Six consanguine monogamous SHR couples (G1) were treated from 5 weeks of age on with an alpha blocker, nicergoline, 0.1 mg/kg/day i.p.. Male rats were treated without interruption; treatment was withheld in female rats from delivery to weaning. They were compare to six similar SHR couples who were only daily i.p. injected with the same volume of solvent in the same conditions as controls, as well as with naive (untreated) rats. Second (G2) and third (G3) generation rats (untreated) were studied. In G1 rats, systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate, heart weight/body weight ratio and bulbar noradrenaline content were decreased (compared to control or naive rats), while plasma renin activity (PRA) and hypothalamic noradrenaline content were not changed. In G2 rats, SBP and PRA were decreased, all other parameters being unchanged. No parameter was changed in G3 rats. This appears to be the first report of a preventive effect of antenatal treatment on the development of hypertension in SHR.