Inhibition of the renin–angiotensin system ameliorates genetically determined hyperinsulinemia

This study was performed in order to assess the potentially different effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril and of the angiotensin II receptor antagonist irbesartan on the metabolic syndrome in an animal model. Male NZO/BL6 F1 mice were treated with captopril, irbesartan, or placebo for 10 months: Control animals treated with placebo developed a metabolic syndrome with obesity (55.5+6.3 g), hypertension (146+10 mm Hg), hyperinsulinemia (7.2+5.7 ng/ml), hypercholesterolemia (5.1+0.7 mmol/l), cardiac hypertrophy (269+44 mg) and atherosclerotic plaques in the ascending aorta (3.6+1.5 μm 2). Treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor antagonist significantly ( p