Vasoconstrictor role for vasopressin in experimental heart failure in the rabbit.

Abstract

Vasopressin's role as a vasoconstrictor in chronic heart failure, was examined in rabbits with adriamycin cardiomyopathic congestive heart failure. Chronic adriamycin treatment resulted in a decrease in cardiac output (829 +/- 38-610 +/- 36 ml/min, P less than 0.005) and blood pressure (83 +/- 2-76 +/- 3 mmHg, P less than 0.01), and an increase in peripheral resistance (8,377 +/- 381-10,170 +/- 657 dyn-s-cm-5, P less than 0.05). Plasma renin activity (4.7 +/- 0.6-10.9 +/- 2.8 ng angiotensin I/ml X h) and norepinephrine (0.7 +/- 0.1-1.3 +/- 0.2 pmol/ml, P less than 0.05) increased while plasma vasopressin levels did not change. Vasopressin infusion, however, produced significantly greater increases in peripheral resistance in animals with heart failure than in controls. Moreover, a specific vasopressin vascular antagonist reduced blood pressure (7 +/- 3%) and peripheral resistance (14 +/- 4%) and increased cardiac output (10 +/- 3%) in animals with heart failure but had no cardiovascular effects in normal rabbits. These results suggest that vascular sensitivity to vasopressin is increased in heart failure, and that it contributes significantly to the increased afterload in heart failure despite normal plasma levels. In this model of severe, chronic heart failure the sympathetic, renin-angiotensin, and vasopressin systems all appear to be activated.

• Authors: L Arnolda, B P McGrath, M Cocks, C I Johnston
• Journal: The Journal of clinical investigation (J Clin Invest) Vol. 78 Issue 3 Pg. 674-9 (Sep 1986) ISSN: 0021-9738 [Print] United States
• PMID: 3528220 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Vasopressins
• Doxorubicin
• Renin
• Norepinephrine

Topics

• Animals
• Blood Pressure (drug effects)
• Cardiac Output (drug effects)
• Doxorubicin
• Female
• Heart Failure (chemically induced, physiopathology)
• Heart Rate (drug effects)
• Male
• Norepinephrine (blood)
• Rabbits
• Renin (blood)
• Vascular Resistance (drug effects)
• Vasoconstriction
• Vasopressins (antagonists & inhibitors, pharmacology, physiology)