Inhibition by bosentan, an endothelin antagonist, of the hypersensitivity to Ca2+ channel activator evoked by salt-loading in basilar artery of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

High salt diet dramatically decreases the life time of spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats (SHRSP). This has been related to an increase in the incidence of stroke. We have investigated the influence of high salt diet on the reactivity to the Ca2+ channel activator Bay K 8644 of basilar artery isolated from SHRSP. The results show that the sensitivity of basilar artery to Bay K 8644 was increased by salt load and that this hypersensitivity was blunted by bosentan, an ETA/ETB antagonist.