Physical training associated with Enalapril but not to Losartan, results in better cardiovascular autonomic effects

- Effects of Enalapril and Losartan on cardiovascular parameters in sedentary and trained hypertensive rats
- The treatment with Losartan, Enalapril and the physical training promoted decrease in arterial pressure.
- The sedentary hypertensive rats treated with Enalapril showed the most accentuated decrease in arterial pressure.
- Enalapril and Losartan promoted similar beneficial cardiovascular autonomic effects in hypertensive sedentary rats.
- The combination of physical training and Enalapril promoted the best cardiovascular autonomic results.

BackgroundWe investigated the cardiovascular autonomic effects of physical training associated with Enalapril or Losartan pharmacological treatments in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).MethodsSHRs, 18 weeks of age (N = 48) was assigned to either sedentary (N = 24) and trained (N = 24; aerobic training by swimming for 10 wk). Each group was subdivided in 3 subgroups (N = 8) vehicle (control); Enalapril (10 mg·kg− 1·d− 1); and Losartan (5 mg·kg− 1·d− 1). All animals received a 10-week treatment in drinking water. In the last week of the treatments, the animals had their femoral artery and vein cannulated for blood pressure recording and drug injection, respectively. The autonomic assessment was performed by means of different approaches: double cardiac autonomic block with atropine and propranolol, spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and systolic arterial pressure (SAPV) and assessment of baroreflex sensitivity (BRS).ResultsThe groups treated with Enalapril, sedentary and trained, showed more significant decrease in blood pressure when compared to the other groups. Autonomic evaluation showed that the sedentary group treated with Enalapril or Losartan had similar results, characterized by decreased effect of sympathetic tone and/or increased effect of cardiac vagal tone associated with improved BRS. Isolated physical training attenuated only the effect of sympathetic tone. The association of physical training with Enalapril showed the best results, characterized by the predominance of vagal tone in cardiac autonomic balance, increased HRV, reduced SAPV and increased BRS.ConclusionsEnalapril and Losartan promoted similar beneficial cardiovascular autonomic effects in sedentary animals, while only the association of physical training with Enalapril potentiated these effects.