Alteration in sialidase and other glycosidase activities in the kidney of spontaneously hypertensive rats: persistence after preventive treatment with hydralazine

Because kidney microangiopathy with capillary basement membrane thickening has been reported in spontaneous hypertension, we have studied the activities of three lysosomal glycosidases able to degrade the carbohydrate moieties of basement membrane constituents in the kidney cortex of 12-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and age-matched normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). These activities were also determined in SHR and WKY treated from 6 to 12 weeks of age with hydralazine (mean dose, 18 mg/kg per day in drinking water). Sialidase specific activity on sialyl-α2-3-[3H]lactitol was markedly decreased in the kidney of untreated SHR, 40% activity remaining relative to that found in untreated age-matched WKY (p < 0.001). β-Galactosidase specific activity on p-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactoside was also decreased, 86% activity remaining relative to that found in untreated WKY (p < 0.001). Glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysyl glucohydrolase specific activity on glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine was equally diminished, 74% activity remaining relative to that found in untreated age-matched WKY (p < 0.001). In contrast, the activities of two control glycosidases inactive on the carbohydrate moieties of basement membrane constituents, α-glucosidase assayed with p-nitrophenyl-α-D-glucoside as substrate and β-glucosidase assayed with p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucoside as substrate, were significantly increased. All the alterations in enzyme activities observed in the kidney of SHR were also present in the long-term treated normotensive SHR. No effect of the hydralazine treatment on the three enzyme activities investigated could be demonstrated in the WKY. Thus the alterations observed in the kidneys of SHR appear to be independent of blood pressure level.