[Laboratory study on protective and therapeutic effects of pinacidil on pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats with hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the protective and therapeutic effects of pinacidil on hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension(HPH) and pulmonary vascular remodeling.


METHODS
46 male Wister rats were divided into control group, hypoxic group and treated group (hypoxic rat treated with pinacidil for 4 weeks). Rat models with chronic HPH were established by chronic hypobaric hypoxia [(10 +/- 0.5)% O2, 4 weeks)]. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and right ventricle/left ventricle and septum [RV/(LV + S)] were measured and the small pulmonary arterial morphologic changes were observed with morphmetric analysis under microscopes in three groups.


RESULTS
(1) The level of mPAP(28.4 +/- 2.8) mm Hg and RV/(LV + S) (0.30 +/- 0.03) were significantly higher in the hypoxic group than (16.2 +/- 1.8) mm Hg and (0.22 +/- 0.03) in control group respectively (P < 0.01). Morphometry investigation showed that the external diameter became smaller and that ratio of vascular wall thickness to external diameter (MT%) (25.7 +/- 2.6)% and ratio of vascular wall area to total area (MA%) (75.3 +/- 5.6)% significantly increased in the hypoxic group. (2) The mPAP(23.3 +/- 2.6) mm Hg, RV/(LV + S) (0.27 +/- 0.04) and pulmonary vascular pathologic changes MT%(22.1 +/- 2.5)% and MA% (67.0 +/- 6.1)% significantly decreased in the treated group, indicating that pinacidil inhibited HPH and hypoxia-induced thickening and muscularization of small pulmonary arteria.


CONCLUSIONS
Pinacidil may partly prevent the development of HPH and pulmonary vascular remodeling.
Zhong
X
X
Respiratory Department, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
Liang
G
G
He
Z
Z
D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017380:Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / Q000209:etiology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D020110:Pinacidil / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D020110:Pinacidil; D010100:Oxygen