1 The effect of the novel P-adrenoceptor antagonist and vasodilator, carvedilol (SK&F 105517, -70 mg kg-' daily in the food), and captopril (-38 mg kg-' daily in the drinking fluid) on the progression of chronic renal failure in rats was studied.2 Six weeks following partial renal ablation, the urinary protein excretion of the carvediol-(60 ± 21 mg day-') and captopril-treated (35 ± 9 mg day-') animals was less than 50% that of control rats (133 ± 27 mg d-').3 Serum creatinine (Scr) and urea nitrogen (SUN) concentrations of the carvedilol-(Scr, 0.63 ± 0.09 mg dl'; SUN, 11.3 ± 1.2 mg dl-') and captopril-treated (Scr, 0.82 ± 0.05 mg d1-'; SUN, 14.1 1.5 mg dl-') animals were also significantly (P<0.05) lower than that observed in control animals (Scr, 1.4 ± 0.3 mg dl-'; SUN, 19.2 ± 3.9 mg dl-'), indicating that glomerular filtration rate was improved by both drugs. Plasma renin activity was significantly (P<0.05) higher in captopril-treated rats (24.7 ± 4.6 ng angiotensin I ml-' h-') than in either carvedilol-treated (7.9 ± 1.4 ng angiotensin I ml -' h-') or control animals (7.4 ± 1.0 ng angiotensin I ml1 ' h-'). 4 Histological examination of the kidneys demonstrated a significantly reduced glomerular hypertrophy and glomerulosclerosis in those animals receiving carvedilol or captopril compared to controls. 5 Serum carvedilol concentration measured every 6 h for 24 h was variable and ranged on average from 57 ± 13 ng ml-' at 16 h 00 min to 121 ± 31 ng ml1' at 03 h 00 min. These data indicate that the rats probably had 24 h systemic exposure to carvedilol. 6 The present study indicates that carvedilol is effective in attenuating the progression of chronic renal failure in rats.
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