Age-dependent effect of PPARγ agonist pioglitazone on kidney signaling in borderline hypertensive rats.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a nuclear receptor and nutrition factor which takes part in the cellular signaling by several agonists such as pioglitazone. PPARγ can serve as potential target in treatments of metabolic syndrome diseases and/or hypertension. In the present study we investigated the effects of pioglitazone, a PPARγ agonist, on hypertension development in young and adult borderline hypertensive rats (BHR). In renal signaling we observed connections between PPARγ and Nrf2, antioxidant in adult animals and differences between young and adult BHR in Nrf2-activated detoxificant outputs (NQO1, HO-1) and NO-synthases. Blood pressure in animals had been detected by cuff plethysmography, cell signaling in the kidney was studied by gene expression determination using qPCR, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity was measured by radioactive detection. Pioglitazone treatment in adult BHR caused no detectable changes in antioxidant and detoxificant responses. The main effects were observed in blood pressure improvement, endothelial NOS expression and NOS activities in both young and adult BHR.