Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockade Prevents Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Background-Activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to the development of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. We evaluated the effect of angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AT 1 ) blockade on the development of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results-We serially evaluated left ventricular (LV) and cardiomyocyte function and the RAS over 6 months in 3 groups of instrumented dogs. Eight animals received alcohol (once per day orally, providing 33% of total daily caloric intake); 6 received alcohol and irbesartan (5 mg · kg Ϫ1 · d Ϫ1 PO); and 8 were controls. Compared with controls, alcohol ingestion caused sustained RAS activation with progressive increases in plasma levels of Ang II, renin activity, LV angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, and LV myocyte Ang II AT 1 receptor expression. The RAS activation was followed by a progressive fall in LV contractility (E ES , alcohol-fed dogs 3.9Ϯ0.

The Effect of Renin Angiotensin System Genetic Variants in Acute Pancreatitis

“…74 Despite this, our study demonstrated an association of the ACE I allele ( lower ACE activity) rather than the postulated D-allele (i.e. high activity) with alcohol-related acute pancreatitis.…”

Reduced Cardiac Contractile Force Due to Sympathovagal Dysfunction Mediates the Additive Hypotensive Effects of Limited-Access Regimens of Ethanol and Clonidine in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

“…Clinical studies suggest that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction. This contrasts with the long-term effects of large amounts of alcohol, which cause cardiomyopathy and increased incidence of arrhythmias and sudden death (Piano, 2002;Cheng et al, 2006). Third, the type of diet (nutritional balance) also influences the outcome because, contrary to the present findings with a liquid diet, the addition of ethanol and clonidine to drinking water resulted in abrogation of the hypotensive effect of clonidine in SHRs in a previous study from our lab (Abdel-Rahman, 1994).…”

Alcohol binge drinking: getting to the heart of it

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