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Spironolactone Preserves Cardiac Norepinephrine Reuptake in Salt-Sensitive Dahl Rats

Departments of Cardiology (S.J.B., J.B., M.M.K., S.E.H., H.A.K.) and Pharmacology (C.M.-G.), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; and Department of Cardiology, Theresienkrankenhaus (M.H.), 68165 Mannheim, Germany

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Johannes Backs, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390-9148. E-mail: johannes.backs{at}web.de.

An impairment of cardiac norepinephrine (NE) reuptake via the neuronal NE transporter (NET) enhances the effects of increased cardiac NE release in heart failure patients. Increasing evidence suggests that aldosterone and endothelins promote sympathetic overstimulation of failing hearts. Salt-sensitive Dahl rats (DS) fed a high-salt diet developed arterial hypertension and diastolic heart failure as well as elevated plasma levels of endothelin-1 and NE. Cardiac NE reuptake and NET-binding sites, as assessed by clearance of bolus-injected [³H]NE in isolated perfused rat hearts and [³H]mazindol binding, were reduced. Treatment of DS with the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone preserved the plasma levels of endothelin-1 and NE, cardiac NE reuptake, and myocardial NET density. Moreover, the ventricular function and survival of spironolactone-treated DS were significantly improved compared with untreated DS. The ₁-inhibitor prazosin decreased blood pressure in DS similar to spironolactone treatment, but did not normalize the plasma levels of endothelin-1 and NE, NE reuptake, or ventricular function. In a heart failure-independent model, Wistar rats that were infused with aldosterone and fed a high-salt diet developed impaired cardiac NE reuptake. Treatment of these rats with the endothelin A receptor antagonist darusentan attenuated the impairment of NE reuptake. In conclusion, spironolactone preserves NET-dependent cardiac NE reuptake in salt-dependent heart failure. Evidence is provided that aldosterone inhibits NET function through an interaction with the endothelin system. Selective antagonism of the mineralocorticoid and/or the endothelin A receptor might represent therapeutic principles to prevent cardiac sympathetic overactivity in salt-dependent heart failure.

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