Cardiovascular effects of inhibition of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system components in hypertensive rats given salt excess

Male 8-wk spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)

Eplerenone (100 mg/kg/day), quinapril (3 mg/kg/day), candesartan (10 mg/kg/day), or combination therapy (eplerenone + quinapril or eplerenone + candesartan) for 8 weeks, in addition to 8% NaCl chow

Control group on normal NaCl (0.6%) diet, and placebo group on 8% NaCl chow

Cardiovascular and renal damage indexes including mean arterial pressure, renal blood flow, coronary flow reserve, minimal coronary vascular resistance, diastolic time constant, maximal rate of ventricular pressure fall, left ventricular mass, fibrosis, and proteinuriasurrogate