Cardiac and Coronary Vasodilator Effects of the Novel Cardiotonic Agent, MCI-154, Assessed in Isolated, Blood-Perfused Dog Heart Preparations

MCI-154 is a potent nonglycoside and non-sympathomimetic cardiotonic agent with a pyridazinone structure. We assessed its cardiac and coronary vasodilator effects by use of isolated, blood-perfused papillary muscle, sinoatrial (SA) node, and atrioventricular (AV) node preparations of dogs. The drug (1-100 nmol) was injected intraarterially. MCI-154 increased the force of contraction of paced and unpaced papillary muscles but failed to affect the rate of automaticity of the latter. It increased sinus rate and shortened AV conduction time by accelerating AV nodal conduction, but in all doses examined it produced no arrhythmias. In all preparations, it increased blood flow. All the effects were long-lasting (1-2 h). MCI-154, however, was not homogeneously effective on these cardiovascular variables. The drug was nearly equieffective in producing a positive inotropic effect and coronary vasodilatation, but less effective in producing positive chronotropic and dromotropic effects. In having such a cardiovascular profile, MCI-154 most resembles milrinone among new cardiotonic agents, although unlike milrinone, its main mechanism of cardiotonic action is believed to be the sensitization of the contractile proteins to Ca2+. Whatever mechanisms are involved, the revealed cardiovascular profile of MCI-154 justifies its clinical trial in the treatment of heart failure.