Angiotensin II receptor antagonist EXP 3174 reduces infarct size comparable with enalaprilat and augments preconditioning in the pig heart

There is no agreement on the effect of angiotensin II receptor blockade in the setting of ischemic reperfusion. Our aim was to assess the acute effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition and angiotensin II AT1-subtype receptor blockade in pig heart. Five groups of open-chest pigs received 1 hour of left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery occlusion and 2 hours of reperfusion. Left ventricular pressure was monitored by an intraventricular catheter, and regional segment shortening (%SS) in the LAD-supplied territory was measured by ultrasonic crystals Implanted in the subendocardium. Group 1 (n = 6) served as the control; groups 2 (n = 6) and 3 (n = 6) received the angiotensin II receptor blocker, EW 3174 (C22H21Cl1N6O2), and the ACE inhibitor, enalaprilat, respectively, prior to LAD occlusion; group 4 (n = 6) was preconditioned with two cycles of 10 minutes of coronary occlusion and 30 minutes of reperfusion; and group 5 (n = 6) underwent preconditioning with additional administration of EW 3174 prior to the 60-minute occlusion period. Infarct sizes were measured by p-nitrobluetetrazolium staining and were expressed in percent of the ischemic area of risk. The angiotensin II receptor blocker EXP 3174 and enalaprilat reduced infarct sizes significantly (35.3 +/- 17.1% and 40.1 +/- 15.1%, respectively) compared with controls (71.2 +/- 12.8%, P < 0.05), and EXP 3174 augmented the infarct size-limiting effects of preconditioning by ischemia (10.5 +/- 6% vs. 28.6 +/- 5.3%, P < 0.05). Regional contractile dysfunction during reperfusion demonstrated no changes after angiotensin II receptor blockade. Angiotensin II receptor blockade reduced infarct size comparable with that obtained with angiotensin converting-enzyme inhibition. The infarct size-limiting effects of ischemic preconditioning were augmented by administration of the angiotensin II receptor antagonist EXP 3174. These data support the concept that blockade or inhibition of angiotensin II before coronary occlusion is protective in a swine model of acute ischemia and reperfusion.