Hypotensive and natriuretic effects of RB 105, a new dual inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme and neutral endopeptidase in hypertensive rats.

Neutral endopeptidase (NEP) is involved in the metabolism of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), whereas angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is involved in the metabolism of angiotensin I; both enzymes participate in bradykinin metabolism. RB 105 is a new dual inhibitor which inhibits both peptidases, NEP (Ki = 1.7 nM) and ACE (Ki = 4.2 nM). In conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), RB 105 i.v. dose-dependently decreased blood pressure and dose-independently caused natriuresis with dose-dependent increases in urinary cGMP and plasma renin concentration, and decrease in plasma ACE activity. RB 105 increased urinary excretion of both immunoreactive ANP and bradykinin. RB 105 completely blocked the hypertensive response of exogenous angiotensin I. Furthermore, RB 105 potentiated the hypotensive and natriuretic response to ANP and potentiated the hypotensive responses of bradykinin in SHR. Intravenous RB 105 decreased blood pressure similarly in DOCA-salt, renovascular (1C-2K) and spontaneously hypertensive rats and induced a similar natriuretic response in these three different renin-dependent and -independent models of hypertension. RB 105 also had hypotensive and natriuretic effects in normotensive rats. RB 105 also induced an increase in urinary excretion of cGMP and bradykinin and in plasma renin concentration in hypertensive and normotensive rats. In conclusion, RB 105 is a new dual inhibitor of ACE and NEP able to target both blood pressure and renal sodium handling in different experimental renin-dependent and -independent models of hypertension.