Impact of High-Dose Perindopril on Cardiac Function and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2/Ang-(1-9)/Ang-(1-7) in Rabbits with Ischemic Cardiac Dysfunction

Aim: To investigate the impact of high-dose of perindopril on cardiac function and ACE2/AT2R pathway in rabbits with ischemic cardiac dysfunction. Methods: The thirty rabbits with ischemic cardiac dysfunction were divided into high-dose group (Perindopril, 2 mg/kg/d), low-dose group (Perindopril, 0.66 mg/kg/d), and control groups (Saline, 2 ml/kg/d) by a random number table. After four weeks, we measured the cardiac function, The level of Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-9), mRNA expression level of ACE2 and AT2R. Results: The results showed that high dose and low dose of perindopril could improve cardiac function (p < 0.001), and high-dose perindopril had more significant improvement (p = 0.041). After treatment, in high-dose group, mRNA level of ACE2, AT2R in myocardium (p < 0.001) and Ang-(1-9) level in serum (p = 0.012) were higher than low-dose group, while Ang-(1-7) levels in serum didn’t show a significant difference (p = 0.829). LVEF and serum Ang-(1-9) were significantly correlated (p = 0.002), LVEF and ACE2 (p = 0.001), LVEF and AT2R (p = 0.007); however, it was no correlation between LVEF and serum Ang-(1-7) (p = 0.067). Conclusion: A high-dose of perindopril could improve ischemic cardiac dysfunction by ACE2/Ang-(1-9)/Ang-(1-7) pathway.