Comparative effects of ACE inhibitors and an angiotensin receptor blocker on atherosclerosis and vascular function.
BACKGROUND
Both angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I(s)) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB(s)) provide vascular protection. This study was designed to compare ACE-I(s) with widely differing tissue affinity (captopril and quinapril) and an ARB (losartan) on vascular protection against the adverse effects of high cholesterol.


RESULTS
Forty-two New Zealand rabbits on a 0.5% cholesterol diet were randomized into control, captopril (10 mg/kg/d), quinapril (0.3 mg/kg/d), and losartan (8 mg/kg/d) groups for 14 weeks. Captopril, quinapril, and losartan significantly attenuated aortic lipid lesions (P=0.001). Captopril and quinapril were more effective than losartan in preserving vascular relaxation.


CONCLUSIONS
Captopril, quinapril, and losartan had similar protective effects against atherogenesis. Captopril and quinapril were more effective than losartan in preserving vascular function. Increased bradykinin by ACE inhibition may be responsible for this improved vascular endothelial function.
Sun
Y P
YP
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA.
Zhu
B Q
BQ
Browne
A E
AE
Pulukurthy
S
S
Chou
T M
TM
Sudhir
K
K
Glantz
S A
SA
Deedwania
P C
PC
Chatterjee
K
K
Parmley
W W
WW
D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007705:Kinins / Q000378:metabolism; D019808:Losartan / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D000077583:Quinapril; D011817:Rabbits; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin / Q000378:metabolism; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*
D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D007546:Isoquinolines; D007705:Kinins; D011945:Receptors, Angiotensin; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002784:Cholesterol; D002216:Captopril; D019808:Losartan; D000077583:Quinapril