0378 : Time course of cardiac dysfunction in experimental acute decompensation of chronic heart failure

Background Exacerbation of chronic heart failure (HF), better known as acute decompensated HF, is characterized by a rapid further decrease of an already HF-related impaired cardiac function, which despite medical treatment only partially recovers. However, no representative experimental model of acute decompensated HF exists, limiting pre-clinical evaluation of emerging therapies and mechanistic understanding. Objective We evaluated the time course of cardiac dysfunction of acute decompensation in rats with chronic HF. Methods Three months after coronary artery ligation resulting in established chronic HF, rats received 2.5 ml tap water (control) or 1.8 g/kg NaCl (dissolved in 2.5 ml tap water) provoking acute decompensation. Cardiac output (echocardiography), LV tissue perfusion (MRI) and coronary endothelial function (Mulvany) were assessed 1 and 13 days after NaCl loading. Results One day after NaCl loading, the HF-related impairment of cardiac output was already aggravated (sham: 145±2 ml/min; HF: 125±3 ml/min; p Conclusion Our data show that in rats with HF, NaCl loading provokes immediately a further aggravation of cardiac and coronary dysfunctions. Moreover, the aggravation is sustained and only partially recovery over-time. This rat model allows the evaluation cardiac systolic and diastolic function of emerging therapies for humans with acute decompensation of chronic HF. The author hereby declares no conflict of interest