[The effect of isradipine on lipid parameters in calcinosis in rats induced by vitamin D3]

The model of vitamin D3-induced calcinosis in rats makes it possible to follow important aspects of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism regulation not only in vessels, but also in the myocardium and in other organs of experimental animals. THE AIM of this paper is to follow the influence of isradipine on some lipid parameters in the serum, in aorta and myocardium.

D3 vitamin, isradipine, olive oil and the solvent for isradipine respectively were administered to experimental animals, males of Wistar rats. The animals of the control group (I) received olive oil in dose 0.5 ml/100 mg of bodyweight and the solvent for isradipine in dose 1 ml/100 mg of bodyweight. The second group (II) received D3 vitamin in dose 300000 i.u./kg of bodyweight. The third group (III) got pure isradipine in dose 0.25 mg/100 mg of weight and pure olive oil. The fourth group (IV) got D3 vitamin in the experimental same dose as the second group and a subsequent dose of 0.25 mg/100 mg of bodyweight.

The animals were divided into 4 groups. The first group (I) were the controls. The second group (II) received D3 vitamin. We detected a significant increase in triacylyglycerol values by 12.4 per cent and in total lipids by 30.3 per cent, respectively an increase in triacylgycerols in myocardium by 188.8 per cent. The serum level of total cholesterol increased by 123.6 per cent and the level of LDL by 263.6 per cent. In the third group (III) the animals received only isradipine. In this group, the value of triacylglycerols in aorta decreased by 52.5 per cent, respectively and so did the total lipids by 22.4 per cent. The values of triacylglycerols in myocardium were decreased by 17.2 per cent and the total lipids by 6.2 per cent in contrast to the second group, where vitamin D3 was applied. The changes in the values of serum cholesterol were not significant. In the fourth group (IV) the experimental animals received vitamin D3 with isradipine. The values of total lipids and triacylglycerols were higher than these in group III, but in any of them did not attain the values of the second group, where only vitamin D3 was applied.

The model of experimental calcinosis opens new possibilities of study of the pathomechanism of some manifestations of atherosclerosis, as well as the possibilities of their influence. Our results testify a positive influence of isradipine on the development of experimental calcinosis. (Fig. 4, Ref. 34.)