Long-Term Cardiac Effects of Hypotensive Agents in Normotensive Mature Rats

Normotensive mature male Wistar rats (n=51)

Chronic treatment (5 months) with converting enzyme inhibitor (enalapril, group T1, n=10) or a β1 blocker (atenolol, group T2, n=13)

Untreated younger rats (group Co, 11 months old, n=14) and untreated age-matched controls (group C1, 16 months old, n=14)

Hemodynamic and myocardial effects including heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac output, stroke volume, total peripheral resistance, left ventricular weight to body weight ratio, left ventricular passive pressure-volume curve, chamber stiffness, isomyosin profiles, and fibrosissurrogate