Prevention against renal damage in rats with subtotal nephrectomy by sacubitril/valsartan (LCZ696), a dual‐acting angiotensin receptor‐neprilysin inhibitor

Although patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk for end-stage renal disease and cardiovascular events, adequate drug therapies for preventing the deterioration of these conditions are still not established. This study was undertaken to evaluate a preventive effect of an angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor sacubitril/valsartan (LCZ696), which is converted to sacubitril and valsartan in the body, against the progression of renal disease in rats with subtotal nephrectomy, an animal model of human CKD. Mean survival time after subtotal nephrectomy was about 100 days in Wistar rats with vehicle. LCZ696-(30 mg/kg) and valsartan-(15 mg/kg) prolonged the survival of these animals, and the effect of LCZ696 on survival was significantly greater than that of valsartan. Renoprotective effects of LCZ696 judged by serum creatinine and urinary protein excretions were larger than those of valsartan. Cardioprotective effects judged by cardiac left ventricular mass, fractional shortening, and fibrosis of LCZ696 and valsartan were not detected under the present condition. Thus, the renoprotective effect of LCZ696 was stronger than that of valsartan in rats with subtotal nephrectomy. This study provides the idea that, compared to valsartan, LCZ696 is more effective for the treatment of human CKD.