Effect of long-term oral pretreatment with levosimendan on cardiac arrhythmias during coronary artery occlusion in conscious rats.
Heart failure is frequently associated with cardiac arrhythmias. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of levosimendan, a new cardiotonic drug for the treatment of congestive heart failure, on experimental ischaemic arrhythmias. Acute coronary artery occlusion was produced in conscious rats 7-10 days after placement of ligature around the left main coronary artery. Acute pretreatment with levosimendan (0.2 or 0.6 mg/kg orally 1 h before coronary artery occlusion) did not influence the incidence, onset and duration of arrhythmias. Long-term pretreatment with levosimendan (0.2 or 0.6 mg/kg orally twice a day for 2 weeks) increased the survival rate (50% and 81% vs. 44% in controls) and the number of animals without any arrhythmia (37% and 31% vs. 5% in controls). The present results demonstrate that chronic oral treatment with levosimendan could be beneficial in congestive heart failure and arrhythmias resulting from regional myocardial ischaemia.
Leprán
István
I
Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, P.O. Box 427, Hungary. lepran@phcol.szote.u-szeged.hu
Papp
Julius Gy
JG
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003243:Consciousness; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006835:Hydrazones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000077464:Simendan; D013997:Time Factors
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D006835:Hydrazones; D011724:Pyridazines; D000077464:Simendan