Increased chymase-like activity in a dog with congenital pulmonic stenosis.

OBJECTIVES

This study was intended to compare the tissue chymase-like activity and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity in the right and left ventricles of a dog with congenital pulmonic stenosis (PS), with normal dogs, and to discuss the potential clinical implications of these findings.

ANIMALS, MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Study subjects included a one-year-old Beagle dog with spontaneous PS and six clinically normal Beagles. Chymase-like and ACE activities were determined in all hearts by high pressure liquid chromatography.

RESULTS

In the PS dog right ventricular (RV) chymase-like activity (49.79 nmol/min/g tissue) and left ventricular (LV) chymase-like activity (36.85 nmol/min/g tissue) were elevated vs normal Beagle dogs (mean+/-standard deviation, RV: 20.17+/-5.24 nmol/min/g, LV: 19.03+/-3.27 nmol/min/g).

CONCLUSIONS

Activation of the tissue RAA system was detected in a dog with congenital PS. This interesting finding should be pursued with further studies to validate this result, and to explore whether pharmacological blockade of chymase, or the angiotensin II receptor, represents a useful strategy to prevent myocardial remodeling in this condition.