BmooMP alpha-I, a Metalloproteinase Isolated from Bothrops moojeni Venom, Reduces Blood Pressure, Reverses Left Ventricular Remodeling and Improves Cardiac Electrical Conduction in Rats with Renovascular Hypertension

BmooMP alpha-I has kininogenase activity, cleaving kininogen releasing bradykinin and can hydrolyze angiotensin I at post-proline and aspartic acid positions, generating an inactive peptide. We evaluated the antihypertensive activity of BmooMP alpha-I in a model of two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C). Wistar rats were divided into groups: Sham, who underwent sham surgery, and 2K1C, who suffered stenosis of the right renal artery. In the second week of hypertension, we started treatment (Vehicle, BmooMP alpha-I and Losartan) for two weeks. We performed an electrocardiogram and blood and heart collection in the fourth week of hypertension. The 2K1C BmooMP alpha-I showed a reduction in blood pressure (systolic pressure: 131 +/- 2 mmHg; diastolic pressure: 84 +/- 2 mmHg versus 174 +/- 3 mmHg; 97 +/- 4 mmHg, 2K1C Vehicle, p < 0.05), improvement in electrocardiographic parameters (Heart Rate: 297 +/- 4 bpm; QRS: 42 +/- 0.1 ms; QT: 92 +/- 1 ms versus 332 +/- 6 bpm; 48 +/- 0.2 ms; 122 +/- 1 ms, 2K1C Vehicle, p < 0.05), without changing the hematological profile (platelets: 758 +/- 67; leukocytes: 3980 +/- 326 versus 758 +/- 75; 4400 +/- 800, 2K1C Vehicle, p > 0.05), with reversal of hypertrophy (left ventricular area: 12.1 +/- 0.3; left ventricle wall thickness: 2.5 +/- 0.2; septum wall thickness: 2.3 +/- 0.06 versus 10.5 +/- 0.3; 2.7 +/- 0.2; 2.5 +/- 0.04, 2K1C Vehicle, p < 0.05) and fibrosis (3.9 +/- 0.2 versus 7.4 +/- 0.7, 2K1C Vehicle, p < 0.05). We concluded that BmooMP alpha-I improved blood pressure levels and cardiac remodeling, having a cardioprotective effect.