Acute kidney injury in the rat causes cardiac remodelling and increases angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 expression

L Burchill, Elena Velkoska, Rachel G Dean, Rebecca Ann Lew, Alexander Ian Smith, V Levidiotis, Louise M Burrell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

80 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Patients with kidney failure are at high risk of a cardiac death, and frequently develop left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The mechanisms involved in the cardiac structural changes that occur in kidney failure are yet to be fully delineated. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 2 is a newly described enzyme that is expressed in the heart, and plays an important role in cardiac function. This study assessed if ACE2 plays a role in the cardiac remodelling that occurs in experimental acute kidney injury (AKI). Sprague-Dawley rats had sham (control) or subtotal nephrectomy (STNx) surgery. Control rats received vehicle (N=10), and STNx rats received the ACE inhibitor (ACEi), ramipril, 1 mg/kg/day (N=15) or vehicle (N=13) orally for 10 days after surgery. Rats with AKI had polyuria (P
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)622 - 630
Number of pages9
JournalExperimental Physiology
Volume93
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 2008

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