Effects of enalapril in rats with pressure overload cardiac hypertrophy

1. The effects of the ACE inhibitor enalapril were studied in rats with cardiac hypertrophy induced by abdominal aortic constriction. This experimental model has shown that pump failure can be evidenced only during increased workload. 2. Under basal conditions, enalapril at 1-3 mg/kg induced a significant reduction in blood pressure. During the acute volume loading or the increase in afterload due to a total aortic occlusion, only rats treated with 3 mg/kg enalapril, but not 1 mg/kg, received a hemodynamic benefit that was paralleled by a significant reduction in cardiac hypertrophy. 3. The present study demonstrates that reduction in blood pressure on its own was not sufficient to improve cardiac function. A decrease in blood pressure accompanied with hypetrophy regression were necessary to normalize hemodynamic parameters in pressure-overloaded rats.