Can doxazosin inhibit the hypertension-induced changes of endocrine cells in the stomach of spontaneously hypertensive rats?

We have previously shown that the endocrine cells in the stomach increase in number in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) that suggests that the hypertension has an influence on the intrinsic regulatory system by endocrine cells control in the stomach of rats. The aim of the present study is to find differences in the density of neuroendocrine (NE) cells of stomach rats and composition in doxazosin treated SHR compared to untreated animals. Fragments of the pyloric region were collected at 12 weeks of age. Paraffin-embedded sections were stained with H+E and by silver impregnation. To identify NE cells, immunohistochemical reaction (IR) was performed with the use of a specific antibody against somatostatin, gastrin, serotonin and chromogranin. It was revealed that the distribution density of IR-endocrine cells all searched types was considerable lower in the pyloric mucosa of hypertension animals treated with doxazosin compared to SHR untreated and was on level healthy rats. The present study demonstrated that doxazosin inhibit the hypertension-induced changes of endocrine cells in the stomach of SHR.