The thromboxane receptor antagonist promotes beneficial adaptation and preserves cardiac function in experimental models of right heart overload.

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease characterized by increased pulmonary artery pressure leading to right ventricular (RV) failure. While current PAH therapies improve patient outlook, they show limited benefit in attenuating RV dysfunction. Recent investigations demonstrated that the thromboxane (TX) A receptor (TP) antagonist attenuates experimental PAH across key hemodynamic parameters in the lungs and heart. This study aimed to validate the efficacy of , a novel oral formulation of in clinical development, in preclinical models of PAH while also, critically, investigating its direct effects on RV dysfunction.

METHODS

The effects of were evaluated in the monocrotaline (MCT) and pulmonary artery banding (PAB) models of PAH and RV dysfunction, respectively, and when compared with leading standard-of-care (SOC) PAH drugs. In addition, the expression of the TP, the target for , was investigated in cardiac tissue from several other related disease models, and from subjects with PAH and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

RESULTS

In the MCT-PAH model, alleviated disease-induced changes in cardiopulmonary hemodynamics, pulmonary vascular remodeling, inflammation, and fibrosis, to a similar or greater extent than the PAH SOCs tested. In the PAB model, improved RV geometries and contractility, normalized RV stiffness, and significantly increased RV ejection fraction. In both models, promoted beneficial RV adaptation, decreasing cellular hypertrophy, and increasing vascularization. Notably, elevated expression of the TP target was observed both in RV tissue from these and related disease models, and in clinical RV specimens of PAH and DCM.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that, through antagonism of TP signaling, attenuates experimental PAH pathophysiology, not only alleviating pulmonary pathologies but also reducing RV remodeling, promoting beneficial hypertrophy, and improving cardiac function. The findings suggest a direct cardioprotective effect for , and its potential to be a disease-modifying therapy in PAH and other cardiac conditions.