Hemodynamic effects of benazeprilat in the anesthetized dog with acute left ventricular failure.

To examine the hemodynamic effects of benazepril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, in left ventricular failure, its active metabolite benazeprilat was administered during acute ischemic left ventricular failure in anesthetized open chest dog induced by repeated injections of plastic microspheres into the left coronary artery. The coronary embolization with microspheres resulted in a moderate and stable left ventricular pump failure characterized by increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and decreased cardiac output (CO). Benazeprilat (30 micrograms/kg) administered intravenously after a stabilization period lowered LVEDP and maintained CO. The total peripheral resistance was reduced with benazeprilat. The oxygen consumption and the coronary blood flow were reduced with benazeprilat because of a decrease in wall tension and afterload. These results suggest that benazeprilat (benazepril) has beneficial effects for the treatment of acute left ventricular failure.