RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of puerarin on angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in spontaneous hypertension rat (SHR).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SHRs, 12 weeks old, were randomly divided into four groups: the model control group (A), the Verapamil group (B), and the two puerarin groups (C and D) treated by low dose and high dose of puerarin respectively. After being treated for 3 weeks, total RNA from tissues of heart, aorta and kidney in rats were extracted and mRNA expression levels of AT1 and ACE2 were determined by RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with Group A, the mRNA expressions of AT1 and ACE2 in heart tissue were lower in Group C, and those in kidney tissue were higher in Group D (all P < 0.05); ACE2 mRNA expression was higher in Group D than in Group C (P < 0.05); no significant differences of the two indexes in aorta were shown among various groups. Besides, mRNA expressions of AT1 and ACE2 in heart and kidney tissue were proved to be positively linearly correlated.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>High dose puerarin could increase the mRNA expressions of AT1 and ACE2 in kidney, while low dose puerarin could decrease them in heart; there might be a feed back correlation between AT1 and ACE2.</p>