Effect of spironolactone on hypertrophy of left ventricular myocardium in Wistar rats with experimental uremia

Chronic renal failure was modeled in rats by partial nephrectomy. Blood pressure, heart rate, concentrations of aldosterone, urea, creatinine, electrolytes, and protein, index of hypertrophy of visceral organs, and 24-h diuresis were evaluated. In rats treated with spironolactone, the index of myocardial hypertrophy did not considerably differ from that in sham-operated animals, whereas in untreated rats the test parameters considerably differ from the control. We concluded that the blockade of aldosterone receptors with spironolactone produced a cardioprotective effect in Wistar rats with subtotal nephrectomy.