Antihypertensive Effect of Captopril in Turkeys

Abstract

Abstract

In experiment 1, dietary administration of captopril to turkeys from 6 to 10 weeks of age attenuated the development of elevation of blood pressure and ratio of heart weight to body weight which occurred in untreated turkeys during this 4-week period. In experiment 2, 16 male and 16 female turkeys were fed a control diet until 6 weeks of age. At this time, 8 turkeys of each sex were continued on the control diet and the other 8 of each sex were changed to a diet containing captopril. Four males and four females in each group were sacrificed at 10 weeks of age. The remaining 4 males and 4 females previously fed a control diet were transferred to a diet containing captopril until 14 weeks of age. Similarly, turkeys previously fed captopril were fed a control diet until 14 weeks of age. Captopril attenuated the increase in both blood pressure and ratio of heart weight to body weight that occurred in control turkeys at 10 weeks of age. Removal of captopril from the diet and feeding of the control diet was accompanied by an increase of blood pressure and ratio of heart weight to body weight, but addition of captopril to the diet at 10 weeks of age resulted in reduction of blood pressure and ratio of heart weight to body weight. These results indicate that captopril attenuates the natural development of hypertension in Broad-Breasted White turkeys.