Effects of angiotensin II subtype 1 receptor blockade on cardiac fibrosis and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ handling in hypertensive transgenic rats overexpressing the Ren2 gene.

Objective: We evaluated the effects of angiotensin II subtype 1 (AT1) receptor antagonism on cardiac fibrosis and sarcoplasmic (SR) Ca2+ handling in a transgenic rat model of renin-dependent left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH).

Methods: Hypertensive transgenic rats overexpressing the Ren2 gene (TGR(mRen2)27) were treated between 10 and 30 weeks of age with the angiotensin II subtype 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist, eprosartan, in an antihypertensive (Ren2-E60, 60 mg/kg per day) and a non-antihypertensive (Ren2-E6, 6 mg/kg per day) dose applied intraperitoneally via osmotic-mini-pumps. They were compared to age-matched Ren2 and Sprague-Dawley (SD) control rats receiving 0.