Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart drugs tested for heart valve leaks in dogs
By Nakayama, Tomohiro et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2007·Department of Veterinary Biosciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effects of 4 classes of cardiovascular drugs on ventricular function in dogs with mitral regurgitation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of nine mature dogs with mitral regurgitation (a heart valve problem) were treated with different heart medications to see how they affected heart function. The medications included enalaprilat, nitroglycerin, ouabain, and milrinone. While nitroglycerin didn't change much, both milrinone and ouabain improved heart strength without worsening the valve issue. The study found that these treatments could help the heart work better without increasing the severity of mitral regurgitation, which is good news for dogs with this condition.
People also search for: dog mitral regurgitation treatment · heart medication for dogs · improving dog heart function · milrinone for dogs · enalaprilat for dog heart problems
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There have been few trials in which dogs with mitral regurgitation (MR) have been treated with various cardioactive drugs to determine effects on left ventricular (LV) function. HYPOTHESIS: Four classes of cardiovascular drugs may improve LV function in dogs with MR without increasing MR. ANIMALS: Nine mature dogs were included in the study. METHODS: MR was produced in 9 dogs. Five months later under butorphanol narcosis, parameters of LV function and left atrial dimension (LAD) were monitored by LV micromanometry and echocardiography/Doppler. Dogs were given (in random order) enalaprilat, nitroglycerine, ouabain, milrinone, and placebo. RESULTS: Nitroglycerin produced no significant change; milrinone and ouabain increased contractility; ouabain decreased heart rate; and there was evidence that enalaprilat and milrinone decreased LAD. Milrinone and ouabain decreased isovolumetric contraction time and therefore the time available for MR. There was no evidence that a positive inotrope increased MR despite increasing LV contractility and stroke volume. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This study contradicts the hypotheses that (1) strengthening the left ventricle may increase MR and (2) treatment of MR (even before symptoms of heart failure develop) may decrease LAD. It is reasonable that strengthening the force of LV contraction should increase the driving pressure for MR; however, this effect did not appear to increase MR. Although some investigators believe that treating dogs with MR with afterload reducers and decreasing hindrance to ejection of blood from the LV to aorta may lengthen life by decreasing MR, there did not appear to be a reduction in MR, at least in response to the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17552449/