Effects of perindopril, propranolol, and dihydrochlorothiazide on cardiovascular remodelling in spontaneously hypertensive rats

AIM: To investigate the effects of perindopril, propranolol, and dihydrochl orothiazide on artery wall thickening, left ventricular hypertrophy, and ca rdiac fibrosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: After mea surement of systolic blood pressure (SBP), 16-wk-old male SHR were randomly divided into 3 groups teach n = 10), given perindopril (Per, 5 mg.kg(-1).d (-1)), propranolol (Pro, 40 mg.kg(-1).d(-1)), dihydrochlorothiazide (DCT, 1 00 mg.kg(-1).d(-1)) respectively by gavage for 12 wk. Sex-, age-, and numbe r-matched untreated SHR and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) served as controls. When the treatment finished, body weights (BW) and SEP were measu red before decapitation of the rats. The heart was excised rapidly, the lef t ventricle was weighed and then subjected to collagen content analysis. Va scular wall and lumen ratio from aorta, renal arteries and branch III vesse ls of mesenteric arteries were determined morphometrically. RESULTS: Treate d rats in 3 groups showed a lower SEP and the ratio of left ventricle weigh t to body weight (LVW/BW) compared with WKY. Artery wall thickening was sim ilarly inhibited in the treated groups. Per and Pro inhibited cardiac fibro sis, but collagen concentration increased in DCT treated SHR [collagen volu me fraction (CVF): 19 +/- 4 vs SHR 14 +/- 4, P < 0.05; perivascular collage n fraction (PVCF): 84 +/- 7 vs SHR 79 +/- 5, P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: Per and Pro inhibited, but DCT promoted, cardiac fibrosis.