The concomitant coronary vasodilator and positive inotropic actions of the nitroxyl donor Angeli's salt in the intact rat heart: contribution of soluble guanylyl cyclase-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The NO redox sibling nitroxyl (HNO) elicits soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC)-dependent vasodilatation. HNO has high reactivity with thiols, which is attributed with HNO-enhanced left ventricular (LV) function. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the concomitant vasodilatation and inotropic actions induced by a HNO donor, Angeli's salt (sodium trioxodinitrate), were sGC-dependent and sGC-independent respectively.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Haemodynamic responses to Angeli's salt (10 pmol-10 μmol), alone and in the presence of scavengers of HNO (L-cysteine, 4 mM) or of NO [hydroxocobalamin (HXC), 100 μM] or a selective inhibitor of sGC [1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), 10 μM], a CGRP receptor antagonist (CGRP8-37 , 0.1 μM) or a blocker of voltage-dependent potassium channels [4-aminopyridine (4-AP), 1 mM] were determined in isolated hearts from male rats.

KEY RESULTS

Angeli's salt elicited concomitant, dose-dependent increases in coronary flow and LV systolic and diastolic function. Both L-cysteine and ODQ shifted (but did not abolish) the dose-response curve of each of these effects to the right, implying contributions from HNO and sGC in both the vasodilator and inotropic actions. In contrast, neither HXC, CGRP8-37 nor 4-AP affected these actions.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Both vasodilator and inotropic actions of the HNO donor Angeli's salt were mediated in part by sGC-dependent mechanisms, representing the first evidence that sGC contributes to the inotropic and lusitropic action of HNO in the intact heart. Thus, HNO acutely enhances LV contraction and relaxation, while concomitantly unloading the heart, potentially beneficial actions in failing hearts.