Abstract

After acute ischemia of tissues, neovascularization must be sufficient and fast enough to preserve tissue integrity and organ function, and may thus be considered as a therapeutic strategy. This study examined the possible role of the very-low-dose combination of perindopril (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) and indapamide (diuretic), used first-line in the treatment of essential hypertension, on ischemia-induced angiogenesis. Ischemia was produced by artery femoral occlusion in rats treated or not with the very-low-dose combination (perindopril 0.76 mg/kg/day + indapamide 0.24 mg/kg/day) or each component given alone at the same dosage for 3 and 28 days. At day 3, angiographic vessel density and laser Doppler perfusion data showed significant improvement in ischemic/nonischemic leg ratio by, respectively, 1.9-fold and 1.5-fold in rats treated with the very-low-dose combination when compared with controls (p < 0.05). This was associated with an increase in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; 2.2-fold) and endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (1.6-fold) protein content in the ischemic hindlimb, assessed by Western blot. At day 28, the very-low-dose combination (3- and 1.6-fold) and perindopril alone (1.8- and 1.4-fold) and indapamide alone (2.0- and 1.4-fold) increased the angiograhic score and blood flow perfusion, respectively, in reference to controls (p < 0.05). Furthermore, addition of VEGF-neutralizing antibody (2.5 μg/kg twice a week) or NOS inhibitor (N ^G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, 10 mg/kg/day) prevented the pro-angiogenic effect induced by the perindopril/indapamide combination. The very-low-dose combination of perindopril and indapamide induces an early and sustained effect on the revascularization process observed in ischemic tissue and may provide a favorable therapeutic neovascularization after ischemia.