Improvement of chronic heart failure by dexamethasone is not associated with downregulation of leptin in rats.

Aim: To demonstrate the hypothesis that dexamethasone (Dex) could improve chronic heart failure (CHF) by inhibiting the downstream signaling transduction of leptin but had no influence on the upregulation of leptin and its receptor in myocardium.

Methods: CHF was induced by left coronary artery ligation for 6 weeks. CHF rats were treated with Dex 50 mg.

Effects of endothelin ETA receptor blocker LU 135252 on cardiac remodeling and survival in a hypertensive rat model of chronic heart failure.

Aim: To investigate whether the endothelin ETA receptor blocker provides similar benefit on cardiac remodeling and survival in a hypertensive rat model of chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods: Male stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SHR-SP) rats were subjected to permanent ligation of the left coronary artery and were treated for 6 weeks with the endothelin ETA receptor blocker LU 135252 (30 mg.kg(-1).

Comparison of cardioprotective effects of mibefradil and ramipril in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Aim: To elucidate the cardioprotective effects of T-type calcium channel blocker mibefradil and compare with that of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor ramipril in a stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) model of congestive heart failure (CHF) after myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: SHR-SP rats were subjected to permanent ligation of the left anterior decending coronary artery. Treatment with mibefradil (10 mg.