Comparative efficacy of levosimendan, ramipril, and sacubitril/valsartan in isoproterenol induced experimental heart failure: a hemodynamic and molecular approach

Objetive: Cardiac ischemia related myocardial damage has been considered as a major reason of heart failure. We aimed to investigate the role of levosimendan (LEVO) in comparison to ramipril and sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) in preventing the damage associated to isoproterenol (ISO) induced myocardial infarction. Method: Myocardial infarction was induced by injecting subcutaneous isoproterenol (5 mg/kg once for 7 consecutive days) to establish experimental heart failure model. Simultaneously, LEVO (1 mg/kg/day), ramipril (3mg/kg/day) and Sac/Val (68 mg/kg/day) suspension were administered orally for four weeks. Results: We observed a significant correlation between ISO induced ischemia with cardiac remodeling and alterations in myocardial architecture. LEVO, ramipril, and Sac/Val significantly prevented lipid peroxidation, damage of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione and thioredoxin reductase. We also observed their ameliorative effects in cardiac hypertrophy of myocardium evidenced by reduced heart weight to body weight ratio and transforming growth factor β related collagen deposition. LEVO, ramipril, and Sac/Val also maintained cardiac biomarkers like lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase-MB, brain natriuretic peptide and cardiac Troponin-I indicating reduced myocardial damage that further demonstrated by histopathological examination. Decreased sarcoplasmic endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ATPase2a and sodium-calcium exchanger-1 protein depletion after LEVO, ramipril, and Sac/Val adminisreration indicated improved Ca2+ homeostasis during myocardial contractility. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that LEVO have comparable effects to ramipril, and Sac/Val in preventing myocardial damage via balancing oxidant-antioxidant system, decreased collagen deposition, reduced myocardial stress as well as improved Ca2+ homeostasis during myocardial contractility.