Key result
Dronedarone treatment significantly improved the structure and passive mechanical properties of the thoracic aorta in hypertensive rats compared to vehicle, associated with reduced aortic SDMA.
Why the study?
Does dronedarone improve thoracic aortic remodeling and mechanical properties in spontaneously hypertensive rats?
RCT
Randomly assigned
Does dronedarone improve thoracic aortic remodeling and mechanical properties in spontaneously hypertensive rats?
Dronedarone improves the structure and passive mechanical properties of the thoracic aorta in hypertensive rats, potentially by reducing aortic SDMA concentration.
Dronedarone effects on aortic remodeling in rats warrant human investigation; leaves open clinical translation and outcome relevance.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Dronedarone is a new multichannel-blocking antiarrhythmic for the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation. Our group has demonstrated that dronedarone produces regression of cardiac remodeling; however, its effect on the remodeling of the elastic arteries has not yet been reported. We aim to assess the effects of dronedarone on the regression of thoracic aortic remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). METHOD: Ten-month-old male SHRs were randomly assigned to an intervention group (SHR-D), where the animals received dronedarone treatment (100 mg/kg), to a control group (SHR) where rats were given vehicle, or to a group (SHR-A) where they were given amiodarone. A fourth group of normotensive control rats (Wistar-Kyoto rats, WKY) was also added. After two weeks of treatment, we studied the structure, the elastic fiber content of the thoracic aorta using histological techniques and confocal microscopy, and the vascular mechanical properties using an organ bath and isometric tension analysis. A mass spectrometric determination of symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentrations was performed. RESULTS: SHR group developed the classic remodeling expected from the experimental model: outward hypertrophic remodeling, increased elastic fiber content and wall stiffness. However, the SHR-D group showed statistically significantly lower values for aortic tunica media thickness, wall to lumen ratio, external diameter, cross-sectional area, volume density of the elastic fibers, wall stiffness, and aortic SDMA concentration when compared to the SHR group. These parameters were similar in the SHR and SHR-A groups. Interestingly, the values for tunica media thickness, volume density of the elastic fibers, wall stiffness, and SDMA concentration obtained from the SHR-D group were similar to those measured in the WKY group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that dronedarone improves the structure and passive mechanical properties of the thoracic aorta in hypertensive rats, and that this protective effect could be associated with a reduction in the concentration of aortic SDMA.
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Quintana-Villamandos et al. (2019) conducted an RCT in Hypertension. Dronedarone vs. Vehicle, amiodarone, and normotensive controls was evaluated on Structure, elastic fiber content of the thoracic aorta, vascular mechanical properties, and SDMA concentrations. Dronedarone treatment significantly improved the structure and passive mechanical properties of the thoracic aorta in hypertensive rats compared to vehicle, associated with reduced aortic SDMA.
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