PDE9A Promotes Calcium-Handling Dysfunction in Right Heart Failure via cGMP–PKG Pathway Suppression: A Mechanistic and Therapeutic Review

Right heart failure (RHF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, often resulting from pulmonary arterial hypertension and characterized by impaired calcium (Ca2+) handling and maladaptive remodeling. Phosphodiesterase 9A (PDE9A), a cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase, has been proposed as a potential contributor to RHF pathogenesis by suppressing the cardioprotective cGMP–PKG signaling pathway—a conclusion largely extrapolated from left-sided heart failure models. This review examines existing evidence regarding PDE9A’s role in RHF, focusing on its effects on intracellular calcium cycling, fibrosis, hypertrophy, and contractile dysfunction. Data from preclinical models demonstrate that pathological stress upregulates PDE9A expression in cardiomyocytes, leading to diminished PKG activation, impaired SERCA2a function, RyR2 instability, and increased arrhythmogenic Ca2+ leak. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of PDE9A restores cGMP signaling, improves calcium handling, attenuates hypertrophic and fibrotic remodeling, and enhances ventricular compliance. Early-phase clinical studies in heart failure populations suggest that PDE9A inhibitors are well tolerated and effectively augment cGMP levels, although dedicated trials in RHF are still needed. Overall, these findings indicate that targeting PDE9A may represent a promising therapeutic strategy to improve outcomes in RHF by directly addressing the molecular mechanisms underlying calcium mishandling and myocardial remodeling.