Effects of physical exercise combined with captopril or losartan on left ventricular hypertrophy of hypertensive rats

ABSTRACT

Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an endpoint of hypertensive cardiac alterations. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers are among the most effective on LVH regression. Physical exercise combined to antihypertensive drug contributes to arterial pressure (AP) control and LVH prevention. We evaluated the effects of physical exercise combined to captopril or losartan during eight weeks for spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) on some cardiac parameters.

Methods: SHR (n=5-6 per group) were sedentary or trained 5 days a week in treadmill during 8 weeks; and they were treated with daily oral captopril (12.5, 25, or 50mg/kg), losartan (2.5, 5, or 10mg/kg), or vehicle. At the end, it was obtained systolic AP (SAP), electrocardiogram (ECG), and hearts metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) activity and histology.

Results: Captopril 25 and 50 mg/kg, and losartan 10 mg/kg lowered SAP of sedentary and trained SHR. Losartan 5 mg/kg combined with physical exercise also lowered SAP. Combined with exercise, captopril 50 mg/kg lowered 13.6% of QT interval, 14.2% of QTc interval, and 22.8% of Tpeak-Tend compared to sedentary SHR. Losartan 5 and 10mg/kg lowered QT interval of sedentary and trained SHR. Losartan 2.5, 5 and 10mg/kg combined with physical exercise lowered respectively 25.4%, 24.8%, and 31.8% of MMP-2 activity. Losartan (10mg/kg) combined with exercise reduced cardiomyocyte diameter.

Conclusion: These data support the hypothesis of physical exercise combined with RAAS blockers could improve the benefits on hypertensive LVH treatment.

KEYWORDS:

• Treadmill exercise
• renin-angiotensin system blockers
• electrocardiogram
• cardiac hypertrophy
• spontaneous hypertensive rats

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Institute of Biological Sciences of UFMG, the Multiuser Laboratory of Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas (UFOP), for technical support, and Mrs. Paula Melo de Abreu Vieira Ph.D (Coordinator CEUA/UFOP).

Declaration of interest statement

The authors certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa de Minas Gerais—FAPEMIG, Minas Gerais, Brazil (NANOBIOMG Network #0007-14; CDS-PPM-00481-13; APQ02346-11); Pharmaceutical Science Program (CiPharma), UFOP.