Age-related cardiovascular responses of rats to coronary artery ligation

The cardiovascular responses of rats of different ages, ranging from 4-15 weeks (body weight 115-490 g), to acute left coronary artery ligation under pentobarbitone anaesthesia were studied. In older animals, the responses included the occurrence of ventricular tachycardia and/or fibrillation, decrease in blood pressure, and a slight increase in heart rate. On the contrary, younger rats exhibited atrioventricular block followed by ventricular arrest, and decreases in both blood pressure and heart rate. The findings demonstrate the existence of age-related cardiovascular responses to acute myocardial ischaemia in rats, and suggest that 10-15-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats are suitable experimental animals for producing early ventricular arrhythmias by acute coronary artery ligation.