ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME-INHIBITOR CILAZAPRIL PREVENTS CHRONIC MORPHOLOGIC VASOSPASM IN RAT

It has been shown that a long-acting angiotensin-converting enzyme inh ibitor cilazapril prevents morphologic changes in arteries secondary t o hypertension and endothelial damage, which are analogous to the chan ges in cerebral arteries following subarachnoid hemorrhage. In this st udy, the effect of cilazapril on chronic vasospasm was investigated on the rat femoral artery vasospasm model, and morphometric analyses wer e performed. Animals were divided into three groups. In group 1, femor al arteries were removed after cardiac perfusion. In groups 2 and 3, r ight femoral arteries were exposed to 0.1 mL autologous whole blood an d wrapped with silastic cuff. Animals in group 3 received cilazapril ( 10 mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days. After the perfusion-fixation, femora l arteries were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy and processed for morphometric analysis. Vessels from animals in grou p 2 showed a significant luminal narrowing and morphologic changes thr oughout the vessel wall, while vessels from animals treated with cilaz april appeared nearly normal. These results suggest that cilazapril ma y be effective in the prevention of chronic vaso-spasm.