Effect of long-term administration of two beta-blocking agents on myocardial structure in spontaneously hypertensive...

Two vasodilating beta-blockers, dilevalol and pindolol, were studied for their effects on the development of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Dilevalol has agonist activity at beta 2-, whereas pindolol interacts with both beta 1- and beta 2-receptor subtypes. Groups of 7-week old spontaneously hypertensive rats were given dilevalol (30 mg/kg) or pindolol (3 mg/kg) in the drinking water for 3 months. A control group of spontaneously hypertensive rats and age-matched normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats were also used. Systolic blood pressure and heart rate were recorded weekly. Cardiac structural changes were determined by morphometric analysis. Control spontaneously hypertensive rats developed hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy as compared with normotensive rats. Dilevalol and pindolol prevented the rise in blood pressure, but only dilevalol lowered heart rate. However, neither of the compounds prevented the development of left ventricular hypertrophy, but they differently influenced myocardial structure as measured by the volume fraction of fibrotic tissue in the left ventricle. Dilevalol markedly prevented the amount of fibrosis to a level comparable to that found in normotensive rats, whereas pindolol had a weaker effect. The data suggest that individual pharmacologic characteristics, such as partial agonist activity of each beta-blocker examined, may account for differential effects on the myocardial structure.