Effects of the novel calcium channel blocker, McN-5691, on cardiocirculatory dynamics and cardiac output distribution in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rat

The purpose of this study was to characterize the cardiocirculatory effects of McN-5691 in the conscious spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and in age matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) control rats. Animals were instrumented under halothane anesthesia for right atrial, left ventricular arterial, and venous pressure recordings. The radioactive microsphere technique was used to estimate regional blood flow and cardiac output before (control) and during intravenous (i.v.) infusion of either McN-5691 at three dosage levels (0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg), or vehicle (VH) at an infusion rate of 0.0408 ml/min. The predominant hemodynamic effect of McN-5691 (cumulative dose = 0.3-4.3 mg/kg i.v.) in conscious SHR was dose-related reduction in mean arterial pressure with normalization occurring at a cumulative dose of 1.3 mg/kg i.v. The antihypertensive effect of McN-5691 was accompanied by reductions in left ventricular peak systolic pressure (cumulative dose = 1.0-4.3 mg/kg i.v.), arterial pressure-rate product (1.3-4.3 mg/kg i.v.), and systemic vascular resistance (4.3 mg/kg i.v.). McN-5691 had no statistically significant effect on heart rate or cardiac contractility as measured by dP/dt/peak left ventricular pressure. The predominant peripheral vascular effects of McN-5691 were increases in skeletal muscle blood flow (4.3 mg/kg i.v.) and reductions in skeletal muscle (1.3-4.3 mg/kg i.v.), renal (1.3-4.3 mg/kg i.v.), gastrointestinal (4.3 mg/kg i.v.), and coronary (1.3-4.3 mg/kg i.v.) vascular resistances. Despite the fall in renal vascular resistance, renal blood flow was not changed by McN-5691. McN-5691 did not have major effects on other regions of the peripheral circulation. Thus, McN-5691 is an antihypertensive agent as defined by its ability to normalize blood pressure in the SHR, and the hemodynamic mechanism leading to this effect is reduction in peripheral vascular resistance. This antihypertensive effect is not accompanied by reflex tachycardia and is not associated with negative inotropic activity or detrimental peripheral circulatory changes in the conscious SHR.