title: Effects of low and high doses of fosinopril on the structure and function of resistance arteries.
abstract: It has been suggested that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors may induce a significant regression of cardiovascular hypertrophy not only through blood pressure reduction but also as a possible consequence of growth factor inhibition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor fosinopril, given either at a hypotensive high dose or a nonhypotensive low dose, on structural and functional alterations of mesenteric resistance arteries and on cardiac mass in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and control Wistar-Kyoto rats. Fosinopril was administered in the drinking water from 6 to 12 weeks of age. Rats were killed at 12 weeks, and the ratio of heart weight to body weight was measured. Mesenteric arterioles were dissected and mounted on a micromyograph (Mulvany's technique). Vascular morphology (media-lumen ratio, media thickness) and endothelial function (response to acetylcholine) were then assessed. During the 6 weeks of treatment, systolic pressure in SHR treated with high-dose fosinopril was significantly lower compared with that in untreated SHR, whereas no difference was observed with low-dose fosinopril. In SHR treated with both high-dose and low-dose fosinopril, a statistically significant reduction of vascular structural alterations, in terms of both media-lumen ratio and media thickness, was observed. The ratio of heart weight to body weight was reduced only in SHR treated with high-dose fosinopril. An improvement in the endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was observed in SHR treated with high-dose fosinopril compared with untreated SHR, whereas in SHR treated with low-dose fosinopril no improvement in endothelial function was detected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Semeiotica e Metodologia Medica, UOP Scienze Mediche, University of Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rizzoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castellano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Porteri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bettoni
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Muiesan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cinelli
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Rosei
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D017328:Fosinopril / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000109:Acetylcholine; D017328:Fosinopril; D011188:Potassium