Aortic cholesterol esterase and other lysosomal enzyme activities in doca-salt, renal and spontaneous hypertension in the rat

Abstract

In spontaneously hypertensive rats, prolonged hypertension caused a decrease in aortic cholesterol esterase activity with N-acetyl-β- d-glucosaminidase activity increased and acid phosphatase activity unchanged [3]. The present study was undertaken to compare these changes with those caused by other experimentally induced types of hypertension. Treatment with DOCA-salt for one month significantly elevated both aortic cholesterol esterase and acid phosphatase activities. In contrast to spontaneous hypertension, venous changes were also observed. An intake of 1% NaCl ad libitum produced results similar to those with the DOCA-salt treatment, despite the fact that blood pressure did not increase. This suggested that humoral factors were the main cause of the elevated enzyme activities in DOCA-salt hypertension. In rats made hypertensive by unilateral renal arterial constriction with contralateral nephrectomy (one clip—one kidney hypertension) or without contralateral nephrectomy (one clip-two-kidney hypertension), aortic cholesterol esterase activities were unchanged, while aortic N-acetyl-β- d-glucosaminidase, and aortic and venous acid phosphatase activities were increased. These results show distinct differences in the response of lysosomal enzymes during the three hypertensive states.