CARDIAC AND VASCULAR EFFECTS OF CHRONIC ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME-INHIBITION AT SUBANTIHYPERTENSIVE DOSES

Aim: We performed two sets of experiments in order to prevent or to regress cardiac and vascular hypertrophy, using antihypertensive and subantihypertensive doses of the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor zabicipril. Methods and results: Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) begin to develop hypertension at less than 4 weeks of age and reach stable hypertension levels after 12-14 weeks. The blood pressure increase is accompanied by the development of cardiac and vascular hypertrophy. Treatment of SHR in utero and up to the age of 20 weeks with an antihypertensive dose of zabicipril (1 mg/kg per day) not only prevented the development of high blood pressure but also the development of cardiac and vascular hypertrophy. This effect was demonstrated by a significant decrease in left ventricular weight and the number of smooth muscle cell layers in the vascular media, media thickness and the media: lumen ratio in mesenteric arteries. In contrast, antihypertensive treatment with the Ca2+ antagonist verapamil (100 mg/kg per day) and the subantihypertensive dose of zabicipril (0.01 mg/kg per day) did not affect the development of cardiac and vascular hypertrophy. We found a significant increase in the length and surface density of myocardial capillaries after treatment with zabicipril at 1 mg/kg per day, indicating that the capillary density had improved and therefore that the oxygen supply of the heart was improved. Similar findings were observed with the low dose of zabicipril in SHR, although these rats had high blood pressure and cardiac and vascular hypertrophy. Conclusions: Treatment of adult SHR for 16 weeks with zabicipril at 1 mg/kg per day completely normalized their blood pressure levels. This effect was accompanied by a regression of left ventricular but not of vascular hypertrophy. Treatment with an antihypertensive dose of verapamil or with a subantihypertensive dose of zabicipril had no effect on cardiac and vascular hypertrophy.