Evaluation of the effect of calcium supplementation in experimentally hypertensive diabetic rats and its relation to ACE inhibitors and insulin

ABSTRACT

The aim of this work was to study the efficacy of dietary calcium supplementation [CED] [2% CaCO3, 8 weeks] as a non- pharmacological approach for the control of blood pressure, serum glucose concentration, cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels in diabetic hypertensive rats. The study also compared the effect of lisinopril [5mg/kg/day, p.o., 2 weeks] and insulin [1 U/kg/day, s.c., 2 weeks] on the previous study parameters. All rats were considered as control group at the start of the experiment with their blood pressure and blood samples taken and considered as control then the rats were rendered diabetic with streptozotocin and hypertensive by unilateral nephrectomy, followed by DOCA 25 mg/kg/week, s.c., 5 weeks. Diabetic hypertensive rats were classified into group [Gp] 1 receiving normal diet and group 2 receiving CED. During the last 2 weeks, they were further classified into 3 subgroups Gp1a and 2a were maintained on their experimental diet; while other subgroups in addition to normal diet or CED, Gp1b and 2b were treated with insulin and Gp1c and 2c were treated with lisinopril. The results showed that administration of either CED, insulin or lisinopril significantly reduced the blood pressure, serum glucose, cholesterol and LDL in diabetic hypertensive rats; whereas the combination of either CED and insulin or CED and lisinopril exhibited a more significant antihypertensive, antiglycemic and antidyslipidemic effect in the diabetic hypertensive model