Efficacy of monotherapy with benazepril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, in dogs with naturally acquired chronic mitral insufficiency

Benazepril (BP), an angiotensin convertive enzyme inhibitor, was administered orally once daily for 4 weeks to 31 dogs with mild to moderate (NYHA functional classes II and III) congestive heart failure caused from mitral insufficiency (MI). There were no significant changes in clinical signs, electrocardiogram findings, radiographical observations and plasma biochemical results in 11 dogs treated with placebo for 4 weeks. In 31 dogs treated with BP, appetite increased, and mean scores of heart failure signs, such as activity, exercise tolerance, cough and respiratory effort, were significantly improved. No dog displays signs suggesting systemic hypotension. One dog died suddenly on the 26th day of treatment with BP. This dog had good vigor and appetite till the evening before the death, and cough and exercise tolerance had been gradually improving. The heart rate and ECG parameters of BP treated dogs did not change significantly, but length of long axis of the heart decreased. In plasma biochemical tests, plasma urea nitrogen (UN) levels did not change significantly, and plasma creatinine (CRE) levels increased slightly within the normal ranges during BP trial. Two dogs had higher plasma UN levels with slightly higher plasma CRE levels, but had normal general condition and other biochemical results. Plasma ACE activity decreased to 57.3% of pre-treatment level at 4 weeks after BP treatment. It is concluded that BP monotherapy was efficacious at least in dogs with relatively low grade congestive heart failure caused by MI.

In situ intestinal absorption of 2-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid in guinea pigs

The intestinal absorption efficacy of 2-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2G), which has been recently synthesized and characterized as a stable ascorbate (AsA), was determined in guinea pigs by the perfusion technique. Perfusion of AA-2G in isotonic phosphate buffer to the small intestine resulted in a decrease of AA-2G accompanied by an increase of AsA in the perfusate. The results showed that intact AA-2G was not detected in the plasma of the portal vein of guinea pigs at 2 h after perfusion. The disappearance of AA-2G from perfusate was completely inhibited by the addition of castanospermine, a specific alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, or by carbohydrates such as maltose. These results indicate that ascorbic acid released from AA-2G by alpha-glucosidase on the brush border membrane is effectively taken up across the intestinal ascorbate transport channels, into a serosal site, whereas AA-2G permeation was poor via the passive transport system.

Vitamin C activity of 2-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid in guinea pigs

The vitamin C activity of 2-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2G), which is one of chemically stable derivatives of L-ascorbic acid (AsA), in guinea pigs was investigated. Male guinea pigs were divided into 9 groups and fed AsA-deficient diet for 24 days with the following supplement: AA-2G- or AsA-supplemented groups were orally supplemented with 0.96, 1.92, 9.6 and 192 AA-2G mg/animal/day or equimolar amounts of AsA (0.5, 1, 5 and 100 mg/animal/day, respectively); AsA-deficient group received neither of them. The body weight gain, serum alkaline phosphatase activity, and the concentration of AsA and AA-2G in the liver, adrenals and urine of the guinea pigs were measured at the end of the experimental period. The AA-2G-supplemented guinea pigs showed similar body weight gain to the animals supplemented with equimolar amount of AsA. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity in both AA-2G- and AsA-supplemented groups was significantly higher than that of AsA-deficient group. But there was no significant difference between the groups supplemented with AA-2G and the equimolar amount of AsA. AA-2G-supplemented guinea pigs showed no apparent symptoms of scurvy. In AA-2G-supplemented groups, AA-2G was not detected in the liver, adrenals and urine, but AsA was found and the AsA concentration increased with increasing AA-2G dosage. The AsA concentration in the tissues of each AA-2G-supplemented groups was higher than that of AsA-deficient group, which was similar to that of the groups supplemented with equimolar amount of AsA. These results showed that AA-2G has the same vitamin C activity as AsA on a molar basis for the orally supplemented guinea pigs.