title: Improvement of cardiac function with parecoxib, a cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor, in a rat model of ischemic heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess changes in cardiac function in animals with ischemic congestive heart failure (CHF) treated with a selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In patients with CHF, COX-2 expression was associated with features of worsening failure. However, evidence of beneficial or detrimental functional effects of COX-2 inhibition in ischemic CHF is lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty male Wistar rats underwent coronary ligation and were allowed to recover for 12 months. Five sham-operated animals were used as controls. After 12 months, six surviving animals underwent baseline echocardiogram to measure end-diastolic diameter (EDD), end-systolic diameters (ESD), fractional shortening (FS), and anterior and posterior diastolic and systolic wall thicknesses. The animals were thereafter treated by daily intraperitoneal parecoxib injections (0.75 mg/kg) for 7 days. On day 7, a repeat echocardiogram was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When compared to baseline, repeat echocardiography after 7 days of parecoxib treatment showed no changes in the EDD (9.4 +/- 0.4 mm vs. 9.4 +/- 0.3 mm, P = 0.9), a significant reduction of ESD (5.5 +/- 0.8 mm vs. 6.4 +/- 0.3 mm, P = 0.028), and a significant improvement in the FS (43 +/- 3% vs. 32 +/- 5%, P = 0.027). Improvement of FS was associated with a significant change in systolic thickness in the infarct zone (3.6 +/- 0.4 mm vs. 3.0 +/- 0.1 mm, P = 0.046), whereas no significant changes in systolic thickness in the remote area were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of parecoxib in ischemic CHF provides functional improvement of the peri-infarct myocardium. This finding may prove useful in improving quality of life and, perhaps, survival in patients with ischemic heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Commonwealth University Pauley Heart Center, Richmond, VA 23233, USA. abbatea@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbate
authors.forename: Fadi N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Salloum
authors.forename: Ramzi A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ockaili
authors.forename: Alpha A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Giuseppe G L
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Biondi-Zoccai
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Straino
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lipinski
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crea
authors.forename: Luigi M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Biasucci
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Vetrovec
authors.forename: Rakesh C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kukreja
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004452:Echocardiography; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D007555:Isoxazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D007555:Isoxazoles; C409945:parecoxib; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2