[Study of effects of drugs on myocardial hypertrophy due to overload].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relation of expression change of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), angiotensin II (Ang II), and endothelin-1 (ET-1), and the effect of imidapril on myocardial hypertrophy due to overload. METHODS: Sixty-three rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham operation (n=15), overload group (n=16), imidapril group (n=16), and Caweidiluo group (n=16). Hypertrophic myocardium was reproduced in rats by constricting abdominal aorta. Blood samples and heart were harvested 12 weeks after aorta constriction, and myocardial hypertrophy index, the contents of Ang II, ET-1 in the myocardium and plasma were determined by radioimmunoassay and TNF-alpha in the myocardium and plasma were determined by enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay. RESULTS: Left ventricle showed obvious hypertrophy 12 weeks after operation. The contents of TNF-alpha, Ang II and ET-1 in the myocardium, and the content of TNF-alpha in serum, Ang II and ET-1 in plasma were increased compared with those of controls (all P<0.01). The treatment of imidapril and Caweidiluo could restrain the development of left ventricle hypertrophy after operation, and imidapril decreased the contents of TNF-alpha, Ang II and ET-1 in myocardium compared with overload group (all P<0.01). Imidapril lowered the contents of TNF-alpha in serum, Ang II and ET-1 in plasma, compared with overload group (all P<0.01), but not ET-1. Caweidiluo lowered the contents of TNF-alpha, Ang II and ET-1 in myocardium, the contents of TNF-alpha in serum, Ang II and ET-1 in plasma (all P<0.01) compared with overload group (both P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The activation of rennin-angiotensin system (RAS) by over load results to an elevation of TNF-alpha contents in plasma and myocardium, and it is probably one of the major regulatory pathways of myocardial hypertrophy.