Additive combination studies of captopril and ditekiren, a renin inhibitor, in nonhuman primates.

Additive combination studies of an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, captopril, and a renin inhibitor, ditekiren (U-71038), were carried out in conscious sodium-depleted and sodium replete cynomolgus monkeys. The agents elicited dose-additive hypotensive responses regardless of the order of drug administration in sodium-depleted monkeys. A dose-additive blood pressure response was also observed when the administration of captopril was preceded by ditekiren in conscious sodium replete monkeys. None of the animals in these groups exhibited significant alterations of heart rate. An apparent over-additive hypotensive response, accompanied by tachycardia, occurred in sodium replete monkeys when ditekiren was administered after captopril. It was proposed that the captopril-induced hyperreninemia may have allowed the blood pressure to become partially renin-dependent and therefore susceptible to the inhibitory action of ditekiren. The results of these studies suggested that both ditekiren and captopril elicited cardiovascular effects in conscious cynomolgus monkeys via a decreased formation of angiotensin II.