Troglitazone improves recovery of left ventricular function after regional ischemia in pigs.
BACKGROUND
This study determined whether treatment of normal (nondiabetic) pigs with the insulin-sensitizing agent troglitazone improves recovery of left ventricular (LV) function after acute ischemia and whether such effects are associated with altered myocardial substrate metabolism.


RESULTS
Juvenile pigs (n=6) were treated with troglitazone (75 mg. kg(-1). d(-1) PO) for 8 weeks. Untreated pigs (n=8) served as controls. Under anesthetized, open-chest conditions, pigs underwent 90 minutes of moderate regional LV ischemia and 90 minutes of reperfusion. Regional LV function was assessed with subendocardial sonomicrometry crystals. Fasting plasma insulin and free fatty acid levels were lower in troglitazone-treated pigs than in untreated pigs, whereas blood glucose did not differ between groups. These findings suggest that treatment enhanced systemic insulin sensitivity. Baseline hemodynamics and regional LV function did not differ between groups. After ischemia and reperfusion, systolic function (external work) of the ischemic region recovered to 44+/-6% of baseline in troglitazone-treated pigs versus 18+/-6% of baseline in untreated pigs (P<0.05). Regional diastolic function (maximum rate of wall expansion) recovered to 78+/-7% of baseline in treated pigs versus 52+/-7% of baseline in untreated pigs (P<0.05). Recovery of global LV systolic and diastolic function was also significantly greater in treated pigs. Myocardial glucose uptake did not differ between groups under any condition; however, net myocardial lactate uptake after reperfusion was 7 times greater in troglitazone-treated pigs than in untreated pigs, suggesting that treatment enhanced myocardial carbohydrate oxidation after reperfusion.


CONCLUSIONS
In nondiabetic pigs, chronic troglitazone treatment improves recovery of LV systolic and diastolic function after acute ischemia.
Zhu
P
P
Cardiology Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80220, USA.
Lu
L
L
Xu
Y
Y
Schwartz
G G
GG
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002839:Chromans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D013552:Swine; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D000077288:Troglitazone; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
D002839:Chromans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D013844:Thiazoles; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D000077288:Troglitazone