Hideyuki Adachi and Mayu Nishino
Cardiovascular Research Unit, Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co.,
Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-2635, Japan
Abstract: The effects of intravenous infusions of 1, 3 and 10
microg/kg/min of the phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, E4021, at 30-min intervals
on coronary artery diameter were studied in 8 conscious pigs monitored with
a pair of piezoelectric crystals. The highest dose increased the diameter
by 2.9 +/- 0.5% (P< 0.01 vs vehicle) of the baseline diameter, with a
significant decrease in mean pulmonary arterial pressure. However, there
were no changes in mean aortic pressure and heart rate. Additionally, E4021
significantly prolonged the duration of the diameter increase induced by
nitroglycerin. Thus, phosphodiesterase 5 inhibition causes coronary artery
diameter increase and produces an amplifying effect with nitroglycerin.
Keywords: Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, Coronary diameter, Conscious
pig