Hydralazine: effect on contraction mechanics of WKY and SHR rat heart muscle

Chronic hydralazine treatment (2 weeks) in 22-week-old normotensive (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) significantly lowered the systolic blood pressure in both groups. Left ventricular papillary muscles from nontreated and treated WKY and SHR were placed in an isometric myography, and contractile indices monitored. Nontreated WKY and SHR were not statistically different comparing: tension, maximum contraction and relaxation rates, time to maximum tension, total contraction time, or passive and active length-tension curves. Hydralazine-treated WKY and SHR had significantly reduced tension and maximum rates of tension development and relaxation; passive length-tension characteristics were not altered. Stressing the papillary muscles with increased frequency of electrical stimulation (0.1-2 Hz) did not differentiate the various groups. Significant (p less than 0.05) alteration with isoproterenol (10(-9)-10(-5) M) occurred with the hydralazine-treated WKY, which responded with a greater increase in relaxation rate than the hydralazine-treated SHR. It is suggested that the clinically very useful drug, hydralazine, causes a distinct contractile state alteration in rat myocardium after treatment sufficient to lower SHR blood pressure to a normal range.