Blockade of angiotensin receptors in the anterior hypothalamic preoptic area lowers blood pressure in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats.

It has been established that deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats have an overactive brain angiotensin-system. The purpose of the present study was to identify the brain sites showing enhanced angiotensin-system activity responsible for the pathogenesis of hypertension in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. The angiotensin receptor antagonist, losartan, was injected into brain ventricles or into tissues around the rostral parts of the third ventricle in conscious DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Losartan (1 microg) injection into the lateral ventricle or into the rostral parts of the third ventricle produced a depressor response, whereas the agent did not affect blood pressure when injected into the caudal parts of the third ventricle or into the fourth ventricle. Losartan (0.1 microg) injection into the anterior hypothalamic preoptic area, anterior (AHA) produced a depressor response. Angiotensin II (0.1-1 ng) injection into the AHA produced a pressor response in sham-operated and DOCA-salt hypertensive rats, and the pressor response to angiotensin II (1 ng) was greater in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats than that in sham-operated rats. Release of angiotensin peptides in the AHA was greater in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats than that in sham-operated rats. These findings suggest that the angiotensin-system in the AHA is enhanced, and that this enhancement is involved in the maintenance of hypertension in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Both increased pressor reactivity to angiotensin II and increased release of angiotensin peptides in the AHA appear to be related to this enhancement of the angiotensin-system in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats.