Altered left ventricular remodeling with beta-adrenergic blockade and exercise after coronary reperfusion in rats.

BACKGROUNDbeta-Adrenergic blockade is known to improve the survival of patients after acute myocardial infarction and to reduce myocardial infarct size in experimental coronary occlusion. However, the effects of beta-blockade on global and regional left ventricular (LV) remodeling have not been characterized after coronary occlusion with reperfusion. In rats subjected to coronary occlusion and reperfusion, we have demonstrated beneficial effects of reperfusion in sedentary rats with a hypertrophic response to exercise in the surviving outer wall of the infarcted zone, and in this study we investigated whether such remodeling is modified by beta-blockade in both sedentary and exercised rats.METHODS AND RESULTSFemale Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into groups at 5 days after 45 minutes of left coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion to produce nontransmural infarction. Animals completing the experiment included a propranolol-treated sedentary group (750 mg/l drinking water) (n = 20) and a pro...