Impairment of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex in conscious rats with myocardial hypertrophy.

The aim of the present investigation was to study the Bezold-Jarisch reflex in catecholamine-induced myocardial hypertrophy. Ten conscious male albino rats (260-300 g) were treated for 15 days with isoproterenol (IR), 0.3 mg/kg injected im once a day, and compared to 10 control rats (CR) similarly injected with vehicle (0.25 ml). No significant changes in body weight, resting mean arterial pressure or heart rate were observed in the IR group. Left and right ventricular hypertrophy was observed in IR animals (27% and 28%, respectively, P < 0.01) when compared to CR. The Bezold-Jarisch reflex was tested by injecting 5-hydroxytryptamine (4-32 micrograms/kg, iv) and was characterized by a simultaneous fall in diastolic arterial pressure (for example: 91 +/- 4 to 61 +/- 3 mm Hg, 16 micrograms/kg) and bradycardia (for example: 330 +/- 10 to 177 +/- 25 bpm, 16 micrograms/kg). This reflex was significantly attenuated in the IR when compared to the CR group. Our data suggest that ventricular hypertrophy without changes in arterial pressure can lead to a reduction of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex. The results reported here are in agreement with other studies showing that the impairment of cardiopulmonary reflex in hypertensive animals and humans occurs exclusively when the hypertension is accompanied by ventricular hypertrophy.