Effects of Empagliflozin on Cardiac Function of Diabetic Infarcted Rats: Echocardiographic Evaluation

Objective The present study aims evaluating the protective effects of Empagliflozin on the cardiac function of diabetic Wistar rats submitted to acute myocardial infarction. Methods 12 rats of the Ratus norvegicus specie, Wistar lineage, were anesthetized with isoflurane and submitted to induction of diabetes by the administration of 50 mg/kg streptozotocin in the caudal vein. Confirmation of hyperglycemia was performed on the 14th day after injection and the animals with glycemia equal to or greater than 250 mg/dL were considered diabetics. These animals were allocated in 3 groups: D (n = 4), ID (n = 4) and ITD (n = 4). The animals of the groups ID and ITD were anesthetized with ketamine (50 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg) and then they were submitted to thoracotomy for ligature of the left coronary artery and received analgesia after the procedure (Tramadol chlorhydrate – 10 mg/kg). The animals of the group ITD received the 3 mg/kg dose of empagliflozin daily for 14 days through gavage. After this period, the animals were submitted to anesthesia (1% isoflurane) and then catheterized (vein and femoral artery) for evaluation of direct blood pressure and echocardiographic examination. Results Diabetes induction was confirmed by fasting hyperglycemia in the 3 groups. A Fractional Area Change (FAC) of 43.81%, 22.45% and 22.70% was observed in the D, ID and ITD groups, respectively (p = 0.00004), confirming the infarction in groups ID and ITD. The ITD group presented higher values of E′/A′ (D: 0.53; DI: 0.64; DIT: 2.01, p = 0.0022) and lower E/E′ values in comparison to D and ID groups (D: 16.99; ID: 19.39, ITD: 7.54, p = 0.0241). These parameters suggest a restoration of the diastolic function and a reduction of the ventricular filling pressure in animals treated with empagliflozin. There was also an improvement in the ejection fraction (EF) in the animals of the group ITD (25.40%) compared to the ID group (12.58%). There were no significant changes in the hemodynamic parameters evaluated, both in blood pressure (MAP: D: 105.96 mmHg, ID: 100.72 mmHg and ITD: 108.29 mmHg – p> 0,05) and in heart rate (HR: D: 303 bpm, ID: 300 bpm, ITD: 327 bpm – p> 0,05). Conclusion Treatment with Empagliflozin for 14 days was able to promote improvement of the cardiac function of infarcted diabetic rats. Support or Funding Information This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior ‐ Brasil (CAPES), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP). This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .