Objectives To explore the changes of arotic morphosis expression of microRNA-195 in the aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and the effect of benazepril on their.

Methods 8-week-old male SHRs were randomly divided into SHR benazepril treatment group (SB group, benazepril (10 mg/kg/day, n = 8) and SHR control group (SC group, n = 8), and Wistar rats of the same age served as control were also randomly divided into benazepril treatment group (WB group, benazepril 10 mg.kg^-1.day^-1, n = 8) and control group (WC group, n = 8). Atfer 8 weeks treatment, tail arterial blood pressures of rats were measured, aortic morphosis were detected by hemotoxylin and eosin staining, and expression level of microRNA-195 in aorta of rats were detected by realtime polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

Results After 8 weeks of medication, the tail arterial systolic blood pressure and diatolic blood pressure of rats in SB group was lower than that in SC group [(145.9 + 9.3) vs (215.0 + 10.1) mmHg, P < 0.01, (120.0 + 3.35) vs (156.6 + 6.8) mmHg, P < 0.01], but was higher than that in WB group[ (145.9 ± 9.3) vs (125.8 ± 5.2) mmHg P < 0.01, (120.0 ± 8.4) vs (74.0 ± 3.5) mmHg P < 0.01]. The expression of miRNA-195 in aorta of rats in SB group is higher than that in SC group, WB group and WC group. Aortic morphosis of rats in SB group was improved compared with SC group, but did not reach the level that in WC group.

Conclusions Treatment with Benazepril can ameliorate the aortic morphosis of SHR, and miRNA-195 may play a role in the process of aortic remodelling in SHR treated by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition (ACEI).