| Abstract: | Objective To explore the new stratigies targeting at SUR2B/Kir6.1 subtype against pressure overload-induced heart failure. Methods Pressure overload-induced heart failure was induced in Wistar rat by abdominal aortic banding (AAB) .The effects of natakalim (1,3, 9 mg·kg-1·d-1, 10 weeks) were assessed on myocardial hypertrophy and heart failure, cardiac histology, vasoactive compounds, and gene expression. Isolated working heart and isolated tail artery helical strips were used to examine the influence of natakalim on heart and resistant vessels. Results Ten weeks after the onset of pressure overload, natakalim therapy potently inhibited cardiac hypertrophy and prevented heart failure. Natakalim inhibited the changes of left ventricular haemodynamic parameters, reversed the increase of heart mass index, left ventricular weight index and lung weight index remarkably. Histological examination demonstrated that there were no significant hypertrophy and fibrosis in hearts of pressure overload rat treated with natakalim. Ultrastructural examination of heart revealed well-organized myofibrils with mitochondria grouped along the periphery of longitudinally oriented fibers in natakalim group rats. The content of serum NO and plasma PGI2 was increased, while that of plasma ET-1 and cardiac tissue hydroxyproline, ANP and BNP mRNA was down-regulated in natakalim-treated rats. Natakalim at concentrations ranging from 0.01-100 μM had no effects on isolated working heart derived from Wistar rats; however, natakalim had endothelium-dependent vasodilation effects on the isolated tail artery helical strips precontracted with NE. Conclusions These results indicate that natakalim improves heart failure due to pressure overload by activating KATP channel SUR2B/Kir6.1 subtype and reversing endothelial dysfunction. |
