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Published on: February 10, 2023
Changes in myocardial blood supply during experimental hypertension treated with verapamil in rabbits
V A Frolov1, G A Drozdova, P Rieger
1Department of Pathological Physiology, Russian University of People Friendship, Moscow. frolov@med.pfu.edu.ru
Insights
Verapamil treatment prevented capillary loss in hypertensive rabbit hearts. However, verapamil alone reduced capillary density in healthy hearts, indicating complex effects on cardiac vasculature.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Pharmacology
- Histology
Background:
- Arterial hypertension often leads to myocardial hypertrophy.
- Changes in cardiac capillary density can impact heart function during hypertension.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of experimental arterial hypertension and verapamil treatment on myocardial capillary density in rabbit hearts.
- To assess the impact of verapamil on cardiac vasculature in both hypertensive and healthy states.
Main Methods:
- Morphological study of rabbit hearts.
- Experimental induction of arterial hypertension.
- Treatment with verapamil in hypertensive and intact animals.
Main Results:
- Hypertensive hearts showed a progressive decrease in capillary number per unit mass.
- Verapamil treatment in hypertensive rabbits prevented the decrease in capillary density in both ventricles.
- Verapamil administration to intact rabbits significantly reduced capillary density.
Conclusions:
- Verapamil preserves capillary density in the context of hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy.
- Verapamil exhibits a dose-dependent or condition-specific effect on cardiac capillary density, warranting further investigation.
Abstract:
Rabbit hearts were studied at different periods of experimental arterial hypertension and its treatment with verapamil. Morphological study revealed a progressive decrease in the number of capillaries per unit mass during the development of myocardial hypertrophy in hypertensive hearts. In hypertensive animals treated with verapamil the density of capillaries in both ventricles did not decrease, but verapamil injected to intact animals sharply decreased this parameter.
