The mechanism of carvedilol in experimental viral myocarditis.

Abstract

Carvedilol is a nonselective β-blocker with α1-adrenergic blocking and antioxidant properties. A number of preclinical experiments and clinical trials have demonstrated that carvedilol provides prominent benefit in heart failure. However, less research has been done in the area of animal models of viral myocarditis. This paper reviews the use of carvedilol in animal models of viral myocarditis. The experimental evidence strongly suggests that carvedilol, but not metoprolol (a selective β1-adrenergic blocking agent), protects against viral myocarditis and the superior cardioprotection effect of carvedilol to metoprolol may be due to its upregulating the production of antiinflammatory cytokines, downregulating the production of proinflammatory cytokines, antioxidative effects, the suppression of matrix metalloproteinases production, and positive hemodynamic effects.