Regression of myocardial fibrosis in hypertensive heart disease: diverse effects of various antihypertensive drugs.

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Abstract
Objective: In left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) due to systemic hypertension, myocardial fibrosis is an important determinant of pathologic hypertrophy. Therefore, it is most relevant to utilize an antihypertensive regimen that permits a regression in myocardial fibrosis along with blood pressure normalization and regression of LVH. Methods: To address this issue we examined 60 Sprague—Dawley rats. We treated 16-week-old rats having established LVH and myocardial fibrosis due to 8-week renovascular hypertension (RHT) with either 6 mg/kg/day zofenopril (ZOF), 30 mg/kg/day nifedipine (NIF) or 40 mg/kg/day labetalol (LAB) for 12 weeks. Systolic arterial pressure (SAP, mmHg), left ventricular/body weight ratio (LV/BW, mg/g), and left and right ventricular collagen volume fractions (LVCVF, RVCVF, %) were obtained and compared with age/sex matched untreated rats with RHT and sham-operated controls. Results: In RHT, SAP was significantly elevated compared with controls (188±11 vs. 125±5 mmHg; PPPPPPPPConclusions: In rats with renovascular hypertension and hypertensive heart disease that included LVH and fibrosis, equipotent doses of ZOF, NIF, and LAB normalized arterial pressure associated with regression of LVH while only ZOF and NIF were found to regress myocardial fibrosis.

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