ABSTRACT
In streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, irrespective of felodipine treatment (5 mg/kg/day po for 4 weeks), a reduction in contractile response of colonic smooth muscle in vitro was observed. Similarly, in both control and diabetic rats treated with felodipine, contractile response was reduced. However, in felodipine treated diabetic rats there was a significant increase in response to exogenous acetylcholine. It may be of interest to study the effect of felodipine, on gastro-intestinal motility in vivo in diabetic rats, to enable extrapolation of the present results to the effect of felodipine on gastrointestinal complications of diabetes mellitus.
Subject(s)
Acetylcholine/physiology , Animals , Colon/drug effects , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/physiopathology , Felodipine/pharmacology , Female , Male , Muscle, Smooth/drug effects , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
Cardiovascular complications of diabetes mellitus account for 80% of deaths among diabetics. Autonomic neuropathy increases the susceptibility of the diabetic myocardium to arrhythmias. Decreased contractility of diabetic myocardium is associated with intracellular calcium overload. However, the relationship between calcium levels and myocardial cholinergic responses is not known. This study was undertaken to observe the effect of felodipine 5 mg/kg on myocardial function and cholinergic responses of the spontaneously working isolated heart of rats with short term streptozotocin-diabetes. Felodipine was administered (po) for 4 week to rats with streptozotocin-diabetes of 4 week duration. Felodipine did not alter the blood glucose levels. The increased cardio-somatic ratio in diabetic rats was attenuated by felodipine. Diabetic status was associated with decreased coronary flow and felodipine increased coronary flow in diabetic rat hearts both before and after ACh. It may be concluded that felodipine favourably altered the adverse myocardial pathology in experimental diabetes, and this strengthens its use as an antihypertensive in diabetics.
Subject(s)
Acetylcholine/physiology , Animals , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy , Felodipine/pharmacology , Female , Male , Myocardial Contraction/drug effects , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
Lipid lowering effect of calcium antagonists is well documented in high fat fed rats and in hypertensive patients. In order to study their effect on lipid profile in experimental diabetes, felodipine 5 mg/kg/day per oral for 4 week was given to rats with streptozotocin-diabetes of 8 week duration. Serum total cholesterol and triglycerides were estimated in non-fasting rats at the end of the study period using Ranbaxy diagnostic kits. Diabetic rats had a significant elevation of both total cholesterol and triglycerides. In diabetic rats felodipine treatment produced a significant reduction of the serum triglycerides while there was no change in the serum total cholesterol. In control rats the drug did not produce any significant alteration in the levels of both total cholesterol and triglycerides.