[Preventive effects of urapidil on hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the preventive effect of urapidil, an alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, on hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodeling.


METHODS
Twenty-one male Sprague-Drawley rats were randomly allocated into three groups: control group, hypoxic group and hypoxic plus urapidil group. The animal model of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension was established by exposing the rats to normobaric hypoxic condition for three weeks, and the rats of hypoxic plus urapidil group were treated with urapidil 10 mg/kg before and after hypoxic processing. The right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle plus septum (LV + S) of rat were weighed respectively, and the RV/(LV + S) was calculated. The wall thickness(WT) and wall area(WA) of pulmonary arterioles wall were measured by a computerized image analyzer, and the index of wall thickness of rats pulmonary arterioles-the percentages of the wall thickness in the external diameter (WT%) and the wall area in the total vascular area (WA%) were calculated.


RESULTS
In the hypoxic group, RV/(LV + S), WT% and WA% were (33.06 +/- 1.74)%, (25.15 +/- 1.47)% and (73.88 +/- 2.93)% respectively, while in the control group, they were (23.21 +/- 2.31)%, (13.55 +/- 1.60)% and (48.23 +/- 4.43)%, the difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.01). In the hypoxic plus urapidil group, they were (26.63 +/- 1.44)%, (14.57 +/- 2.27)% and (52.68 +/- 3.98)%, being remarkably decreased as compared with those in the hypoxic group (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Urapidil can prevent hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.
Xia
Xiu-qiong
XQ
Department of Respiratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Cheng
De-yun
DY
Guan
Jian
J
Chen
Xiao-ju
XJ
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D001160:Arterioles / Q000473:pathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications*; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D010879:Piperazines; C015568:urapidil