Chronic treatment with the angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitor, perindopril, protects in vitro carbachol-induced vasorelaxation in a rat model of vascular calcium overload.

1. Treatment of young rats with vitamin D3 plus nicotine produced 31 and 4 fold increases in the calcium content of the aorta and the mesenteric arterial bed, respectively. 2. Aortic rings and perfused mesenteric arterial beds from vitamin D3/nicotine-treated animals showed a diminished contractile response to noradrenaline in vitro. 3. In vascular preparations from vitamin D3/nicotine-treated animals, precontracted with noradrenaline, relaxation by the endothelium-dependent vasodilator, carbachol, was attenuated but responses to sodium nitroprusside were not modified. 4. Prolonged treatment with the angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitor, perindopril, at a dose (1 mg kg-1) which did not significantly modify blood pressure, failed to prevent vascular calcium overload. 5. Perindopril treatment diminished noradrenaline-evoked vasoconstrictor responses of aortic rings in both groups, but restored responses in mesenteric arterial beds of vitamin D3/nicotine-treated rats. 6. Perindopril treatment also restored the maximal responses to carbachol of both aortic rings and mesenteric arterial beds of vitamin D3/nicotine-treated rats. 7. In conclusion, in the vitamin D3 plus nicotine model of calcium overload, reduced endothelial-mediated relaxation can be prevented by perindopril treatment.