Effects of digoxin-specific antibody Fab fragment (Digibind) on blood pressure and renal water-sodium metabolism in 5/6 reduced renal mass hypertensive rats

The importance of increased endogenous digitalislike factor (EDLF) in volume-expanded hypertension has been generally agreed. To further clarify the role of EDLF on the development of hypertension and renal water-sodium handling in 5/6 reduced renal mass hypertensive rats (RRM), we studied the effects of acute administration of digoxin-specific antibody Fab fragment (Digibind) in the early phase and the chronic phase of hypertension in RRM. RRM and sham-operated rats were given 1% saline for 1 or 4 weeks. RRM were injected Digibind (60 mg/kg) or vehicle (0.9% saline) intravenously in the first or fourth week under thiobutabarbital anesthesia. All sham-operated rats were administered Digibind under the same condition. Digibind altered neither blood pressure, heart rate, urine volume, nor urinary sodium excretion in sham-operated rats. However, Digibind produced a gradual but significant decline in mean arterial pressure to the level slightly above that in sham-operated rats from 153 +/- 5 to 131 +/- 5 mm Hg in the first week and from 181 +/- 6 to 129 +/- 4 mm Hg in the fourth week without any significant change in heart rate. The decrease in mean arterial pressure at 160 min after Digibind administration in the fourth week (-48 +/- 5 mm Hg) was greater than that in the first week (-22 +/- 4 mm Hg). No differences were observed in urine volume, urinary sodium excretion, or plasma norepinephrine concentration between Digibind and vehicle-treated RRM in either week. These data suggest that EDLF would contribute to both the early and chronic phase in the development of hypertension in RRM. (C) 1999 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.