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ABSTRACT
Despite the established detrimental effects of high salt-intake on blood pressure, the specific mechanisms connecting salt-sensitive hypertension and plasma cortisol levels are not fully understood and how antioxidants influence plasma cortisol of salt loaded animals remains evasive. This present study examined the impact of salt-induced hypertension on plasma cortisol in animal models and their associated antioxidant influences. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 90-110g were assigned into six groups of five rats each. Group 1 (control), received normal rat chow and water, Group 2, were fed with rat chow containing 8% NaCl (high salt diet-HSD), Groups 3 to 6 received HSD (Lisinopril 2.3mg/kg + Vitamin C l00mg + high Magnesium 4.8mM + kolaviron (200mg/kg body weight) respectively by oral gavage for 8 weeks. The blood pressure and heart rate were measured weekly in conscious animals using the Mouse Rat Blood Pressure system before the animals were humanely sacrificed using chloroform anesthesia and 5mls of blood was collected for biochemical analysis. The result showed a significant increase in the Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), systolic and diastolic blood pressure in salt-loaded rats compared with the control, while antioxidants co-treated groups caused an attenuation in the mean arterial blood pressure increase when compared with the salt-loaded group. There were no significant changes in the heart rate of the animals. The plasma cortisol levels showed a significant decrease in the high salt-induced hypertensive rats compared with control. It also showed significant decreases in the HSD-co-treated with different antioxidants compared with the high salt diet group. In conclusion, the results of this present study showed that high salt diet decreases the plasma cortisol levels which may not be unconnected with centrally mediated antioxidants' cellular homeostatic sodium balance in mitigating oxidative stress in salt-loaded Sprague-Dawley rats
