title: Effect of long-term oral pretreatment with levosimendan on cardiac arrhythmias during coronary artery occlusion in conscious rats.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leprán
authors.forename: Julius Gy
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Papp
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D006835:Hydrazones; D011724:Pyridazines; D000077464:Simendan