title: Effect of long-term administration of a prostacyclin analogue (beraprost sodium) on myocardial fibrosis in Dahl rats.
abstract: Beraprost sodium (BPS) is an orally active prostacyclin analogue. The effects of BPS on the heart, including coronary circulation improvement, myocardial and vascular protection and anti-fibrosis effect on myocardium interstitium, have previously been demonstrated. However, the effects of BPS on hemodynamics, cardiac function and myocardial contractility in patients in the hypertrophic phase have not been clarified. Therefore, in the present study, the effects of BPS under long-term administration were investigated using the hypertension model of salt-sensitive Dahl rats. Six-week-old Dahl rats were divided into three groups, an 8% high salt diet group treated with BPS (BPS group), an untreated 8% high salt diet group (HHF group) and an untreated 0.3% low salt diet group (Control group), and observations were conducted until 17 weeks of age. In the BPS and HHF groups, the survival rates after 11 weeks of high salt diet intake were 87.5% and 47.1%, respectively (p<0.05). At 17 weeks of age, the atrial systolic peak velocity/early diastolic peak velocity and heart weight index of the BPS group decreased significantly compared with the HHF group (p<0.05). The HHF group exhibited significantly more severe myocardial fibrosis mainly in the endocardial layer of the left and right ventricles compared with the BPS and Control groups (p<0.05). In the present study, long-term BPS administration preserved diastolic function and prevented myocardial interstitial fibrosis in the non-compensatory phase. The results of the present study suggest that BPS is effective for treatment of hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Surgery, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Saiwai-cho, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaneshige
authors.forename: Yuuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saida
authors.forename: Ryou
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soda
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Nobutaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ida
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamane
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004699:Endocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000517:prevention & control; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D008136:Longevity; D051381:Rats; D020303:Rats, Inbred Dahl; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; C048081:beraprost; D011464:Epoprostenol