Hypertension exacerbates predisposition to neurodegeneration and memory impairment in the presence of a neuroinflammatory stimulus: Protection by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition

• Control SHRs exhibited exaggerated RAS and increased neuroinflammatory mediators.
• Hypertension renders the brain more vulnerable to neurodegeneration induced by LPS.
• Perindopril reduces neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in both NWRs and SHRs.
• Perindopril by decreasing the level of Ang II suppresses NF-kB signaling pathway.
• Neuroprotective action of ACE inhibition is independent of its BP regulating effect.

Hypertension is a risk factor for cognitive impairment. Furthermore, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration are intricately associated with memory impairment. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the involvement of hypertension and angiotensin system in neurodegeneration and memory dysfunction in the presence of neuroinflammatory stimulus. Memory impairment was induced by chronic neuroinflammation that was developed by repeated intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th day. Memory functions were evaluated by the Morris water maze (MWM) test on days 13–15, followed by biochemical and molecular studies in the cortex and hippocampus regions of rat brain. LPS at the dose of 25 μg ICV caused memory impairment in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) but not in normotensive Wistar rats (NWRs). Memory deficit was obtained with 50 μg of LPS (ICV) in NWRs. Control SHRs already exhibited increased angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity and expression, neuroinflammation (increased TNF-α, GFAP, COX-2 and NF-kB), oxidative stress (increased iNOS, ROS and nitrite levels), TLR-4 expression and TUNEL positive cells as compared to control NWRs. Further, LPS (25 μg ICV) exaggerated inflammatory response, oxidative stress and apoptosis in SHRs but similar effects were witnessed at 50 μg of LPS (ICV) in NWRs. Oral administration of perindopril (ACE inhibitor), at non-antihypertensive dose (0.1 mg/kg), for 15 days attenuated LPS induced deleterious changes in both NWRs and SHRs. Our data suggest that susceptibility of the brain for neurodegeneration and memory impairment induced by neuroinflammation is enhanced in hypertension, and that can be protected by ACE inhibition.