title: The acute administration of trimetazidine modified myocardial perfusion and left ventricular function in 31 patients with ischaemic ventricular dysfunction.
abstract: Trimetazidine (TMZ) increases the mithocondrial oxidative metabolism and improves Tc-99m sestamibi uptake in myocardial single photon emission tomography (SPECT). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the acute administration of TMZ improved myocardial perfusion and modified left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in ischaemic left ventricular impairment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients (23 males, age 66 years) with prior myocardial infarction (>6 months) and echocardiographic LVEF < or = 45% underwent coronary angiography, rest basal myocardial SPECT (after 3-day placebo administration) and rest TMZ myocardial SPECT [after 3-day TMZ administration (60mg/die)]. The left ventricle was analysed in 16 segments. The summed placebo score (SPS) and the summed TMZ score (STS) were calculated with a 5-point scale (from 0 = normal uptake to 4 = absent uptake) by two blinded operators. The GATED Tc-99m SPECT was always provided.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After TMZ administration GATED LVEF improved from 26.5+/-9.7% to 29.1+/-11.3% (p = 0.04) and left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) was reduced from 90.2+/-40.7 to 85.6+/-39.2 ml/mq (p = 0.006). Similarly the addition of TMZ to myocardial SPECT significantly reduced the STS compared to SPS (21.5+/-11 vs. 26.6+/-10.5 p = 0.0001). Eleven patients (35.5%) had an echocardiographic LVEF < or = 30%; in these patients who had severe ventricular dysfunction, GATED LVEF and LVESV did not change after TMZ (20.2+/-5.7% vs. 21+/-6.9% p =0.6; 116.7+/-35.3 ml vs. 112.6+/-32.3 ml p = 0.08, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison with placebo, the addition of TMZ to myocardial Tc-99m tetrofosmin SPECT improved myocardial perfusion and LVEF, reducing LVESV. These effects were lost in patients with more severe ventricular dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Ospedale S Croce e Carle, Cuneo, Italy. m_feola@virgilio.it
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feola
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biggi
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Francini
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ribichini
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Uslenghi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014292:Trimetazidine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D014292:Trimetazidine