Influence of Losartan Therapy on Tubular Sodium Kinetics in Mild to Moderate Hypertension

Abstract

Losartan is a selective antagonist of angiotensin II and it is useful in the therapy of tubular sodium kinetics in mild to moderate hypertension. In this study 30 subjects with mild to moderate hypertension were treated for 2 months with Losartan and were compared to control group of 30 normotensive subjects. Inulin and para aminohippuric acid (PAH) were administered intravenously to both groups, and blood and urine samples were collected every 30 minutes to determine baseline levels of inulin, PAH, lithium, sodium and potassium. A protein meal was given without salt, cereals nor vegetables. After 4 clearance periods were determined. Glomerular filtration rate data from treated and control subjects were not statistically significant. However, lithium clearance, fractional excretion, absolute distal reabsorption of sodium, as well as filtration fraction from Losartan treated and untreated subjects were highly significant at all minutes studied (30-60-90-120, and 180). In this paper we confirm that Losartan can be identified as a drug with high tollerability compared to other compounds of the same class that act on receptor inhibition for the managment of hypertension.