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Chronic Levosimendan Administration Preserves Systolic and Diastolic Function and Preserves Circumferential Strain in Rats with Volume Overload Heart Failure
Author(s) -
Wilson Kristin,
McIlwain Elizabeth,
Lucchesi Pamela
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.799.9
Subject(s) - levosimendan , medicine , cardiology , volume overload , heart failure , diastole , speckle tracking echocardiography , preload , cardiac function curve , pressure overload , ejection fraction , hemodynamics , blood pressure , cardiac hypertrophy
Objectives. Aortocaval fistula (ACF)‐induced volume overload (VO) heart failure (HF) results in progressive left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. This study investigated whether chronic intervention with the myofilament Ca 2+ sensitizer levosimendan (Levo) could preserve cardiac function in ACF‐induced VO longterm. Methods and Results. ACF or Sham surgery was performed in male Sprague‐Dawley rats (200‐240 g) 4 or 8 weeks prior to initiating treatment in ACF rats with Levo (1 mg/kg) for 15 or 11 wks, respectively; control (Veh) rats received water for 15 wks. Similarly between the two groups, Levo improved LV systolic (%FS, Ees, PRSW: 40%, 0.7 mmHg/μL, 100 mmHg, respectively; p<0.05 vs ACF‐Veh) and diastolic (tau, dP/dt min: 9.4 msec; ‐7500 mmHg/sec, respectively; p<0.5 vs ACF‐Veh) function. Circumferential, radial and longitudinal strain increased in ACF in early‐stage HF (1.5, 5.8 and 1.6‐fold, respectively; p<0.05 vs. Sham), but decreased towards Sham levels by end‐stage HF (1.1, 2 and 1‐fold, respectively; n.s.). Levo preserved circumferential (1.4‐fold; p<0.05 vs. ACF‐Veh), but not longitudinal or radial (1 and 2.5 fold, respectively; n.s.), strain in end‐stage HF. Conclusion These results demonstrate that Levo improves LV systolic and diastolic function and, by maintaining circumferential but not longitudinal strain, improves short‐axis, but not long‐axis function as measured by speckle‐tracking echocardiography.