Comparative effects of pretreatment with captopril and losartan on cardiovascular protection in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion

OBJECTIVES We sought to assess the comparative effects of pretreatment with captopril and losartan on myocardial infarct size and arrhythmias in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion. BACKGROUND Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) inhibit the renin-angiotensin system in different ways. However, the comparative effects of pretreatment with ACE inhibitors or ARBs on acute myocardial infarct size and arrhythmias are unknown. METHODS We randomly assigned 117 female Sprague-Dawley rats into three groups: group N was the normal control; group C was given 40 mg/kg body weight per day of captopril in drinking water; and group L was given 40 mg/kg per day of losartan in drinking water. After 10 weeks of pretreatment, 25 rats in each group were subjected to 17 min of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and 2 h of reperfusion with hemodynamic and electrocardiographic monitoring. Fourteen rats in each group had blood samples drawn and aortic rings removed to study vascular reactivity. RESULTS Mortality during ischemia and reperfusion was lower in combined groups L and C than in group N (4.2% vs. 19.2%, p = 0.042). Rats treated with losartan had significantly higher levels of angiotensin II in their plasma. Hemodynamic variables were not significantly different among the three groups. The thresholds of ventricular fibrillation (VF) before occlusion and after reperfusion were significantly higher in groups L and C than in group N (1.99 ± 0.24 and 1.93 ± 0.27 vs. 1.23 ± 0.17 mA, p = 0.04; 2.13 ± 0.25 and 1.78 ± 0.22 vs. 0.95 ± 0.11 mA, p = 0.001). The average episodes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and VF per rat were significantly less in groups L and C than in group N (0.96 ± 0.2 and 1.2 ± 0.3 vs. 2.8 ± 0.4 mA, p < 0.001). Myocardial infarct size was significantly smaller in groups L and C than in group N (34 ± 3% and 35 ± 3% vs. 44 ± 3%, p = 0.031, 0.043). Endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation induced by a calcium ionophore (A23187) was increased in both groups but was only statistically significant in group C (p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS Losartan and captopril have similar cardiovascular protective effects in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion. They increased the threshold of VF, decreased mortality and decreased episodes of VT and VF, as well as decreased myocardial infarct size.