Preservation of endothelial function by ramipril in rabbits on a long-term atherogenic diet

Hypertension and hypercholesterolemia predispose to atherosclerosis. Ramipril, known to lower blood pressure, was used to study the effect of converting-enzyme inhibition on impairment of endothelium-derived relaxation and changes in basal cGMP content in rabbits fed an atherogenic diet (0.25% cholesterol). The generation of cGMP in the presence of bradykinin and ramiprilat was studied in vitro in aortic segments from normal untreated rabbits as well as in bovine endothelial cells. The ability to relax in response to acetylcholine was almost abolished in aortic segments from the vehicle-treated rabbits fed the atherogenic diet for 4 months. The basal cGMP content was substantially reduced. Aortic segments from rabbits concomitantly treated with ramipril (0.3 and 3.0 mg/kg/day) for 3 months showed well-preserved relaxation and matching basal cGMP content compared to normal controls. The relaxation was not significantly greater in aortic segments from ramipril-treated rabbits fed the standard diet, but the cGMP content was more than doubled. In vitro studies in aortic segments and in endothelial cells showed that both the ramiprilat and bradykinin concentrations dependently stimulated cGMP formation, which serves as a biochemical marker of nitric oxide or EDRF release. Thus, the observed endothelial protection against hypercholesterolemia by ramipril may be the result of continuously increased cGMP formation due to preserved EDRF release. This is presumably produced by enhanced bradykinin activity through inhibition of degradation by converting-enzyme inhibition with ramipril.