Effects of hydralazine on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: prevention of hyperlipidemia and improvement in cardiac function.

The effects of hydralazine on blood lipids, systolic pressure and cardiac performance were assessed in male Wistar rats, 6 weeks after they were made diabetic with streptozotocin (STZ). STZ-induced diabetes results in a loss of body weight, hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia. These effects are not altered after hydralazine treatment. STZ-diabetes also produced a significant bradycardia, elevation of blood pressure, hyperlipidemia and decreases in the levels of triiodothyronine and thyroxine. Hydralazine treatment successfully prevented all these alterations. In addition, cardiac performance was depressed in the untreated diabetic animals, but the cardiac performance of the hydralazine-treated diabetic animals showed a definite improvement. Thus, hydralazine controlled the high serum lipids and blood pressure and improved cardiac performance in STZ diabetic rats.