BJMBR 882 Reviewer A

Major Comments:
1. The introduction and the objectives can hardly be conciliated. The introduction emphasizes the
lack of information on hypertension factors of post-menopausal rats. The variables are
analyzed specifically for the pre-menopausal phase. If the investigation is restricted to
describing pre-menopausal changes it will be repeating what is already known.
2. It is crucial that the manometric system used to evaluate left ventricle !"# pressures is
described in detail. $uite a number of key issues are related to such information%
a. no description is available in the literature on !" pressure obtained from a catheter
introduced in the femoral artery& as described in '(T)*+,-
b. !" systolic pressures are indeed very very low in ,). rats at the age under evaluation.
Twelve-year-old ,). rats traditionally report systolic pressure above 1/0 mm)g-
c. d12dt measures compromise results. .ats being evaluated under such conditions - with
no factors depressing cardiac function during catheterization - will 3!435, present
ma6imum 7d12dt values over 8&000 mm)g2s. The measures reported are lower than
those found in the isolated rat hearts& which +(9I:IT(!5 invalidates the results
described. - d12dt values -18 ; -d12dt ; -/<# are far T** insignificant.
These comments raise two assumptions% a# animals= circulatory system was T** depressed
during catheterization- b# manometric system is not appropriate for the analysis& damping the
pressure records. >ased on heart rate as a reference .-. 220 ms# no major depression was
observed in the circulatory system& thus suggesting the problem is related to the manometric
system. Therefore& it is crucial that natural resonance fre?uency of manometric system is
known so as to be able to assess its ade?uacy for rat pressure assessment. In any case& the
values presented are incompatible with physiologic thresholds for rats.
Minor Comments:
1. 4hat was the (@A lead studiedB 4as it the same for all ratsB
2. 1age C D last paragraph% the most probable cause for $., widening and ,T and T changes was
left bundle branch block& not ischemia or myocarditis-
<. 1age 10& last paragraph% 9rank-,tarling mechanism is associated to acute variations of
ventricular dilatation. )ere& distensions are chronic& which means that they are dependent on
cardiomyocyte growth& not stretching. The authors should be clear about their purpose.
BJMBR 882 Reviewer B
I. Guide for reviewing the paper
1. 3de?uacy of the abstract (Are sufficient data, preferably numerical, given to allow the abstract to be
appreciated without the paper?) Ok
2. *riginality and importance of the contribution for the development of the field of study.
Regarding the two paper cited below the authors should underline the new contribution of
theirs results in the manuscript.
Prolonged QT interals is associated with blood pressure rather than left entricular mass in
spontaneuosl! h!pertensie rats. "limas# $ eat al.# Clin %&p '!pertension ())* +),-.:/-01*0.
%C2 alterations with progressie left entricular h!pertroph! in spontaneous h!pertension.
3unn 42 et al.# Clin %&p '!pertension 56-*# 5,5.:7-1*7.
8lso# these two papers should be cited b! the authors.
<. .elevance and accuracy of the methodology& results and discussion.
There is a discrepanc! in the number of animals used in the stud!. The %C2 has n97 and the
blood pressure n90.
The timing of the %C2 should be better specified in the methods section ,:8t the end of +
until 5( month period;.. 8lso# there is no e&planation if the %C2 was performed in the same
animals from + month1old until 5( month1old or in different animals.
Pag 0. <RP should be defined.
Cardiom!oc!tes Morpholog! =ession. >hat was the "Cl concentration used?
E. ,uggestions for improving the manuscript.
The discussion should be improed with preious data from the literature and the releance of
the stud! better clarified. <t is not clear the new findings of the data.
:The compensation to pressure oerload was done initiall! b! means of entricular h!pertroph!
resulting from increased olume of left entricular cardiom!oc!tes;
>hat does the authors means b! initiall!? The cardiac h!pertroph! in progressie and leads to
entricular d!sfunction.
@etter e&planation for the increase in entricular function should be done. Consider reference
5(0-/)6) and 50*7+/00
/. Aeneral @omments
The manuscript b! @arros @4 et al.# This article e&amines the electrical cardiac actiit!
alterations in females ='R and correlating these changes with age.
The authors used female >istar rats to e&perimental protocol. Can the! please e&plain whether
the estrous c!cle was taken into account in this stud!?
8. ,pecific @omments
Title: 8ge1Related changes...change to 8ge1related changesA.
<ntroduction: The first paragraph should be improed. The spelling for some words should be
standardiBed ,8geing or 8ging.. Pag *# line 5. ,age.. Thus# the te&t must be reised.
3iscussion: Paragraph -. The following reference should be considered ,5**00(0(.
Table 5: There are no significance markers in the results. >hat does 4C stand for? 3id !ou
mean 'R? 8lso# the 'R =3 of the + month1old animals is reall! low ,(6+C5. when compared to
other groups. <s there an! reason?
Table (: There are no significance markers in the results.
4igure (: Te&t and legend show as C5 and C( and the figure as 3
4igure 0: There is no legend for itens 3 and %.
@$M@R **( 1 Reiewer C
**( Technical Reiew
1. The (nglish needs major revision by a professional with e6perience in scientific writing.
2. 3ll abbreviations must be e6plained at first use in the abstract& te6t and tables2figures.
a. +efine ,). in the 3bstract.
<. .eferences should be cited on the line within parentheses& not superscript. 1lease correct
throughout the te6t.
E. 1lease use the full word 9igure rather than fig. and Table rather than Tab.
/. 1lease cite only the country for each manufacturer& not the city and state&
8. .eference list. 1lease see www.bjournal.com.br for information on formatting of references
Auidelines for authors#. The year should be cited before the volume number not after the
names of the authors within parentheses.
a. 9or e6ample% Aates 1(& ,train 4+& ,hore 3@. )uman endothelial function and
microvascular ageing. Exp Physiol 200F- CE.<% <11-<18.
G. Table 1.
a. 1lease place the title of the table above the table and the statistical information in the
footnote.
b. The legend cites symbols to indicate statistical significance but there are no symbols on
the data in the table. 1lease use only the symbols H I 7 rather than circles and s?uares.
c. 1lease add statistical test used to the legend footnote.
d. ,econd line of data. 1lease use decimal points& not commas.
e. @orrect the word lenght to length.
f. +efine 9@ in the footnote.
F. Table 2.
a. 1lease write a descriptive title for the table above the table and leave the remaining
information in the footnote.
b. The legend cites symbols to indicate statistical significance but there are no circle or
s?uare symbols on the data in the table. 1lease use only the symbols H I 7 rather than
circles and s?uares.
c. 1lease add statistical test used to the legend footnote.
d. +efine I.1 in the footnote.
C. 9igures 1& <& and /.
a. 1lease add statistical test used to the legend.
b. 1lease use only the symbols H I 7 rather than circles and s?uares to show statistical
significance.
10. 9igure /. 4hat is being shown in the oval in panel /+B 3dd to legend.