Experimental study of myocardial collagen during nifedipine therapy of arterial hypertension

Light and electron microscopy of the left-ventricular myocardium obtained from spontaneously hypertensive SHR rats showed a pronounced increase in collagen content. These changes were more pronounced in animals treated with nifedipine in the mean therapeutic dose for 8 weeks. Collagen accumulated between muscle fibers and often formed perivascular cuffs. Hence, nifedipine promotes the formation of scleroproteins in the myocardium.