Energy Deficit as a Possible Factor for the Induction of Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis in Left Ventricular Myocardial Cells during Genetically Determined and Secondary Arterial Hypertension

Activities of caspase-3 and caspase-8 in the left ventricular myocardium of Chinchilla rabbits with renovascular arterial hypertension and spontaneously hypertensive rats were measured after 10-day administration of a macroergic compound phosphocreatine. Treatment with phosphocreatine prevented activation of caspase-3, but had no effect on caspase-8 during secondary and genetically determined arterial hypertension. Our results indicate that the intrinsic mechanism of the induction of the caspase cascade in myocardial cells dominates over the extrinsic pathway during both types of arterial hypertension. Energy defi cit is one of the inducing factors of these processes.