A Proposed Mechanism for the Berecek Phenomenon with Implications for Cardiovascular Reprogramming

Berecek and colleagues reported in the 1990s that when SHR mating pairs were treated with captopril and the resulting pups were continued on the drug for two months followed by drug discontinuation, the pups did not develop full blown hypertension and the cardiovascular structural changes associated with hypertension in SHR were mitigated. The offspring of the pups also displayed diminished hypertension and structural changes, suggesting that the drug therapy produced a heritable amelioration of the SHR phenotype.
Source: Journal of the American Society of Hypertension - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research