Effect of intraperitoneally administered hydrolyzed whey protein on blood pressure and renal sodium handling in awake spontaneously hypertensive rats

ABSTRACT

The present study evaluated the acute effect of the intraperitoneal (ip) administration of a whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) on systolic arterial blood pressure (SBP) and renal sodium handling by conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The ip administration of WPH in a volume of 1 ml dose-dependently lowered the SBP in SHR 2 h after administration at doses of 0.5 g/kg (0.15 M NaCl 188.5 ± 9.3 mmHg vs WPH 176.6 ± 4.9 mmHg, N = 8, P = 0.001) and 1.0 g/kg (0.15 M NaCl 188.5 ± 9.3 mmHg vs WPH 163.8 ± 5.9 mmHg, N = 8, P = 0.0018). Creatinine clearance decreased significantly (P = 0.0084) in the WPH-treated group (326 ± 67 æL min-1 100 g body weight-1) compared to 0.15 M NaCl-treated (890 ± 26 æL min-1 100 g body weight-1) and captopril-treated (903 ± 72 æL min-1 100 g body weight-1) rats. The ip administration of 1.0 g WPH/kg also decreased fractional sodium excretion to 0.021 ± 0.019 percent compared to 0.126 ± 0.041 and 0.66 ± 0.015 percent in 0.15 M NaCl and captopril-treated rats, respectively (P = 0.033). Similarly, the fractional potassium excretion in WPH-treated rats (0.25 ± 0.05 percent) was significantly lower (P = 0.0063) than in control (0.91 ± 0.15 percent) and captopril-treated rats (1.24 ± 0.30 percent), respectively. The present study shows a decreased SBP in SHR after the administration of WPH associated with a rise in tubule sodium reabsorption despite an angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibiting in vitro activity (IC50 = 0.68 mg/mL). The present findings suggest a pathway involving ACE inhibition but measurements of plasma ACE activity and angiotensin II levels are needed to support this suggestion.