Myocardial performance of STZ-diabetic DOCA-hypertensive rats.

Myocardial performance of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-hypertensive rats was examined using the isolated working heart apparatus at various time periods after induction of the experimental diseases. Blood pressure, pulse rate, and plasma levels of glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides, as well as ventricular weight-to-body weight ratio, were also determined. In nondiabetic rats it was found that DOCA hypertension was associated with an increase in plasma cholesterol, a decrease in circulating insulin level, lower weight gain, and ventricular enlargement compared with control rats. Diabetic rats developed myocardial dysfunction in a time-dependent manner and exhibited hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, bradycardia, and ventricular enlargement. Compared with the normotensive diabetic animals, STZ-diabetic DOCA-hypertensive rats showed a similar magnitude of myocardial dysfunction and a greater degree of ventricular enlargement, but significantly less severe hyperglycemia. It is concluded that DOCA-induced hypertension does not aggravate the severity of myocardial dysfunction developed in STZ-diabetic rats. It is also suggested that DOCA may have an action on glucose metabolism either directly or via an effect on insulin secretion.