Effects of cilazapril on cardiac function and on coronary artery structure in diabetic rats

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disorder and with the development of myocardial dysfunction. Recently, it has been shown that alteration in the renin-angiotensin system may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disorder in diabetes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-Inhibitor) on cardiac function and coronary artery structure in streptozotocin (STZ) treated rats. The values of left ventricular isotonic contraction (LVIC), aortic flow rate (AFR), coronary flow rate (CFR), heart rate (HR), and the thickness of left ventricular wall, right ventricular wall, interventricular septum were determined for STZ-rats, cilazapril-treated STZ-rats and controls. Besides the thickness of intramural coronary artery wall has also observed. The results indicated that at 8 weeks after the STZ injection, LVIC AFR, CFR and HR assessed for STZ-rats were significantly different than the controls (p < 0.05), and cilazapril seems to retard these changes significantly (p < 0.05) (control : LVIC = 3.14 ± 0.37 gm, AFR = 72.80 ± 2.70 ml/min, CFR = 5.00 ± 0.50 ml/min, HR = 185.70 ± 10.60 beat/min, STZ-rats : LVIC = 2.50 ± 0.61 gm, AFR = 52.00 ± 7.50 ml/min, CFR = 3.40 ± 0.42 ml/min, HR = 147.20 ± 9.20 beat/min, cilazapril – treated STZ – rats : LVIC = 3.20 ± 0.27 gm, AFR = 70 . 00 ± 3.54 ml/min, CFR = 3.10 ± 0.42 ml/min, HR = 184.00 ± 12.33 beat/min). Besides, the STZ - rats treated with cilazapril also showed less diabetic abnormalities of ventricular and arterial wall hypertrophy. It is concluded that cilazapril could attenuate the cardiovascular changes resulting from diabetic complications.