Prolongation of the life span by pranidipine, a 1, 4-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, in salt-sensitive dahl rats

Pranidipine, a long-acting 1,4-dihydropyridine-type calcium channel blocker, enhances nitric oxide-induced relaxation. In the present study, the effects of pranidipine on the survival of salt-sensitive Dahl rats were evaluated. Dahl rats were divided into three groups of 20 animals each and assigned to pranidipine at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg once daily and vehicle, Arabic gum (control). The rats were loaded with an 8%-NaCl diet at 8 weeks, and simultaneously started drug treatment, which continued until all animals of the control group were dead. Systolic blood pressure was initially around 110 mm Hg, and became about 190 mm Hg at 8 weeks after salt-loading, and kept at higher levels in the control group. However, the blood pressure increase was completely inhibited by pranidipine treatment. In the control group, all animals were dead at 19 weeks after salt-load, while there was no death in the pranidipine-treated groups.