An oral formulation of angiotensin-(1-7) produces cardioprotective effects in infarcted and isoproterenol-treated rats.

Author(s): Marques FD, Ferreira AJ, Sinisterra RD, Jacoby BA, Sousa FB, Caliari MV, Silva GA, Melo MB, Nadu AP, Souza LE, Irigoyen MC, Almeida AP, Santos RA

Affiliation(s): Department of Physiology and Biophysics, National Institute of Science and Technology in Nanobiopharmaceutics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Publication date & source: 2011-03, Hypertension., 57(3):477-83. Epub 2011 Jan 31.

Publication type: Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

In this study we evaluated the cardiac effects of a pharmaceutical formulation developed by including angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) in hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HPbetaCD), in normal, infarcted, and isoproterenol-treated rats. Myocardial infarction was produced by left coronary artery occlusion. Isoproterenol (2 mg/kg, IP) was administered daily for 7 days. Oral administration of HPbetaCD/Ang-(1-7) started immediately before infarction or associated with the first dose of isoproterenol. After 7 days of treatment, the rats were euthanized, and the Langendorff technique was used to analyze cardiac function. In addition, heart function was chronically (15, 30, 50 days) analyzed by echocardiography. Cardiac sections were stained with hematoxylin/eosin and Masson trichrome to evaluate cardiac hypertrophy and damage, respectively. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that oral HPbetaCD/Ang-(1-7) administration significantly increased Ang-(1-7) on plasma whereas with the free peptide it was without effect. Oral administration of HPbetaCD/Ang-(1-7) (30 mug/kg) significantly reduced the deleterious effects induced by myocardial infarction on systolic and diastolic tension, +/-dT/dt, perfusion pressure, and heart rate. Strikingly, a 50% reduction of the infarcted area was observed in HPbetaCD/Ang-(1-7)-treated rats. Furthermore, HPbetaCD/Ang-(1-7) attenuated the heart function impairment and cardiac remodeling induced by isoproterenol. In infarcted rats chronically treated with HPbetaCD/Ang-(1-7), the reduction of ejection fraction and fractional shorting and the increase in systolic and diastolic left ventricular volumes observed in infarcted rats were attenuated. Altogether, these findings further confirm the cardioprotective effects of Ang-(1-7). More importantly, our data indicate that the HPbetaCD/Ang-(1-7) is a feasible formulation for oral administration of Ang-(1-7), which can be used as a cardioprotective drug.