REDUCTION OF THE MORTALITY-RATE BY IMIDAPRIL IN A SMALL CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE-MODEL, (NZW X BXSB)F1 MALE-MICE

For this study, we used (NZW x BXSB)F1 male mice as a model of myocardial infarction. The animals were kept on water containing imidapril or enalapril at 60 mg/kg/day from 10 to 27 weeks of age. Imidapril and enalapril significantly reduced the blood pressure. Imidapril reduced the mortality rate more significantly than enalapril did. In the second experiment where imidapril, enalapril and captopril were administered to the mice at 5 mg/kg/day, p.o., both imidapril and captopril significantly reduced the mortality, but enalapril did not. Blood pressure was slightly reduced by these ACE inhibitors. These data suggest that imidapril and captopril are efficacious for the treatment of myocardial infarction and blood pressure reduction hardly contributes to its mechanism of action.