Effects of carvedilol on ventricular remodeling in chronic heart failure rats

Objective To study the effect of carvedilol on ventricular remodeling in chronic heart failure(CHF)resulting from pressure overload in juvenile rats.Methods The CHF animal model of rats was established by constriction of abdominal aorta.Thirty-six surviving male rats of five weeks old were randomly divided into CHF control group(n=8),large dose carvedilol(10 mg·kg-1·d-1,n=10)group,middle dose carvedilol(1 mg·kg-1·d-1,n=10)group,and small dose carvedilol(0.1 mg·kg-1·d-1,n=8 group).Sham operated rats(n=8)were selected randomly as non-infarction control.Carvedilol was administered by direct gastric gavage.After 4 weeks of drug therapy,the high frequency ultrasonography(HFUS),hemodynamic analysis,pathologic analysis of the hearts and cardiac myocyte apoptosis analysis were performed.The serum contents of lipid pereoxidation(LPO)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)were detected.Results Compared with the sham operated group,LVESD,IVSTd,IVSTs,LVPWTd,LVPWTs,LVRW,RVRW,SBP,DBP,LVSP,LVEDP,AI,LPO were all significantly increased(P0.01)in CHF group,so did LVEDD(P0.05).A significant decrease could be seen in EF,FS,+dp/dtmax,-dp/dtmax,SOD.In comparison with CHF group,a dose-dependent and significant decrease could be seen in LVEDD,LVESD,IVSTd,IVSTs,LVPWTd,LVPWTs,LVRW,RVRW,SBP,DBP,LVSP,AI,LPO and LVEDP,especially in the large and middle dose carvedilol groups(P0.05 or P0.01).While a significant increase could be seen in EF,FS,+dp/dtmax,-dp/dtmax,SOD(P0.01).Conclusion Carvedilol in no matter what dose effectively and dose-dependently prevents ventricular remodeling in CHF juvenile rats.