A comparison of the dose-response effects of captopril in anesthetized normotensive and renovascular hypertensive rats.

1. Dose-response effects of captopril in an acute model of renovascular hypertension in the anaesthetized rat and in normotensive anaesthetized rats were compared. 2. Intravenous infusions of captopril lowered the blood pressure of both hypertensive and normotensive rats, its minimal active dose being about 0.05 mg/kg. 3. The 0.1 mg/kg dose of captopril normalized the blood pressure of hypertensive rats. 4. The model described herein might be useful for screening inhibitors of the angiotensin-converting enzyme.