Angiotensin (1–7) and Apelin co-therapy: New strategy for heart failure treatment of rats

Objective: Isoproterenol (ISO)-induced heart failure is a standardized model for the study of beneficial effects of various drugs. Both apelin and angiotensin 1-7 have a cardiac protective effect. We assumed that co-therapy with apelin and angiotensin 1-7 (Ang (1-7)) may have synergistic cardioprotective effects against isoproterenol-induced heart failure. Methods The animals were randomly assigned to one of eight groups of seven animals in each group as follows: (1) control I (saline; IP injection) (1) control II (saline; via mini-osmotic pump) (3) ISO (5 mg/ kg; IP), (4) Apelin (20μg/ kg; IP), (5) Ang (1-7) (30 μg/kg/day; via mini-osmotic pump), (6) Apelin+ISO, (7) Ang (1-7)+ISO, (8) Apelin+Ang (1-7)+ISO. Rat myocardial injury was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 5mg/kg of ISO for ten days. Apelin and Ang (1-7) were administered 30 minutes before ISO injection. Results: A decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP; p