Differential effects of antihypertensive treatments on apoptosis, oxidative stress, and expression of angiotensin receptors in the cerebral cortex from the onset of prehypertension and hypertension in stroke-prone spontaneous hypertensive rats.

To investigate the effects of losartan and amlodipine on cell apoptosis in the cerebral cortex of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) from the onset of prehypertension or hypertension. SHRSP were randomly divided into five experimental groups that were administered losartan, amlodipine (n=8 in each group; 4 weeks old or 10 weeks old), or vehicle, respectively. Wistar-Kyoto rats were used as control animals.