Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizer that produces a potent effect on the heart muscle. Acting as a positive inotrope, it strengthens the heart’s contractions, making it pump more efficiently. In comparison with other inotropes, levosimendan does not cause unwanted arrythmogenic effects.
In an aging population, chronic diseases are expected to have increasing prevalence. One such disease is heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Recently, an animal study was completed to investigate the possibility that HFpEF may be controlled using this inodilator. ZSF1 obese rats were used as a preclinical surrogate model for HFpEF. The animals were treated for 6 weeks with 1 mg/kg/day levosimendan in drinking water. Another group was submitted to i.v. levosimendan infusion to determine the acute effects.
Both types of treatment seemed to show beneficial haemodynamic effects in this study. However, as with many animal models of human diseases, this model has some limitations. Further research should carefully appraise the effectiveness of this treatment on an aging population of HFpEF.
Moreira-Costa L, Tavares-Silva M, Almeida-Coelho J, et al. Acute and chronic effects of levosimendan in the ZSF1 obese rat model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Eur J Pharmacol. 2024 Mar 5:966:176336. PMID: 38272343