Helmut Bohn

Cardiovascular actions of the furoxan CAS 1609, a novel nitric oxide donor

1 This study examines the cardiovascular effects of CAS 1609 (4‐hydroxymethyl‐furoxan‐3‐carboxamide) in vitro as well as in vivo in various animal models. 2 CAS 1609 relaxed guinea‐pig pulmonary artery strips without endothelium with IC50‐values of 0.9 μm (phenylephrine contracted) and 15 μ (KCl‐depolarized). This effect was inhibited by oxyhaemoglobin. In these arteries CAS 1609 significantly increased (+ 192%) guanosine 3′:5′‐cyclic monophosphate levels, which indicates that the compound acts as a donor of nitric oxide (NO). 3 In the anaesthetized pig, CAS 1609 (0.3‐1.0 mg kg−1, i.d.) significantly lowered blood pressure and left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure. Left ventricular contractility was slightly reduced and heart rate remained almost unchanged. 4 In anaesthetized dogs, i.v. or i.d. administration of CAS 1609 (0.3‐3.0 mg kg−1) decreased, in a dose‐related fashion, preload and afterload of the heart, cardiac output, left ventricular work and myocardial oxygen consumption. This haemodynamic profile is similar to that of known NO‐donors. 5 In anaesthetized dogs with acute heart failure due to intracoronary injection of microspheres, CAS 1609 (0.3mgkg−1, i.v.) improved the haemodynamic condition and reduced mortality by 80%. 6 In conscious dogs, oral treatment with a dose of 0.5 mg kg−1 given twice daily at 07 h 00 min and 19 h 00 min (each dose had a duration of action ≤ 12 h) for 5 days showed no signs of tolerance to the haemodynamic effects of the drug. 7 All these data indicate that CAS 1609 is a potent, long‐lasting orally active donor of NO, devoid of tolerance development.