Michael R. O'Grady

Effect of Pimobendan or Benazepril Hydrochloride on Survival Times in Dogs with Congestive Heart Failure Caused by Naturally Occurring Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease: The QUEST Study

BACKGROUND Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) continues to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in geriatric dogs despite conventional therapy. HYPOTHESIS Pimobendan in addition to conventional therapy will extend time to sudden cardiac death, euthanasia for cardiac reasons, or treatment failure when compared with conventional therapy plus benazepril in dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) attributable to MMVD. ANIMALS Two hundred and sixty client-owned dogs in CHF caused by MMVD were recruited from 28 centers in Europe, Canada, and Australia. METHODS A prospective single-blinded study with dogs randomized to PO receive pimobendan (0.4-0.6 mg/kg/d) or benazepril hydrochloride (0.25-1.0 mg/kg/d). The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, euthanized for heart failure, or treatment failure. RESULTS Eight dogs were excluded from analysis. One hundred and twenty-four dogs were randomized to pimobendan and 128 to benazepril. One hundred and ninety dogs reached the primary endpoint; the median time was 188 days (267 days for pimobendan, 140 days for benazepril hazard ratio = 0.688, 95% confidence limits [CL]=0.516-0.916, P= .0099). The benefit of pimobendan persisted after adjusting for all baseline variables. A longer time to reach the endpoint was also associated with being a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, requiring a lower furosemide dose, and having a higher creatinine concentration. Increases in several indicators of cardiac enlargement (left atrial to aortic root ratio, vertebral heart scale, and percentage increase in left ventricular internal diameter in systole) were associated with a shorter time to endpoint, as was a worse tolerance for exercise. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Pimobendan plus conventional therapy prolongs time to sudden death, euthanasia for cardiac reasons, or treatment failure in dogs with CHF caused by MMVD compared with benazepril plus conventional therapy.

Echocardiography. Principles of interpretation.

Echocardiography offers the clinician an opportunity to image the heart noninvasively. Both M-mode and cross-sectional echocardiography can be used to measure cardiac dilation and hypertrophy and to quantitate myocardial function. Knowledge of normal echocardiographic anatomy is essential for understanding changes that occur in disease.

Efficacy of Pimobendan in the Prevention of Congestive Heart Failure or Sudden Death in Doberman Pinschers with Preclinical Dilated Cardiomyopathy (The PROTECT Study)

Background The benefit of pimobendan in delaying the progression of preclinical dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in Dobermans is not reported. Hypothesis That chronic oral administration of pimobendan to Dobermans with preclinical DCM will delay the onset of CHF or sudden death and improve survival. Animals Seventy-six client-owned Dobermans recruited at 10 centers in the UK and North America. Methods The trial was a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel group multicenter study. Dogs were allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive pimobendan (Vetmedin capsules) or visually identical placebo. The composite primary endpoint was prospectively defined as either onset of CHF or sudden death. Time to death from all causes was a secondary endpoint. Results The proportion of dogs reaching the primary endpoint was not significantly different between groups (P = .1). The median time to the primary endpoint (onset of CHF or sudden death) was significantly longer in the pimobendan (718 days, IQR 441–1152 days) versus the placebo group (441 days, IQR 151–641 days) (log-rank P = 0.0088). The median survival time was significantly longer in the pimobendan (623 days, IQR 491–1531 days) versus the placebo group (466 days, IQR 236–710 days) (log-rank P = .034). Conclusion and Clinical Importance The administration of pimobendan to Dobermans with preclinical DCM prolongs the time to the onset of clinical signs and extends survival. Treatment of dogs in the preclinical phase of this common cardiovascular disorder with pimobendan can lead to improved outcome.

Rapid, simple and sensitive microassay for skeletal and cardiac muscle myoglobin and hemoglobin : use in various animals indicates functional role of myohemoproteins

A novel, simple, rapid, sensitive and reproducible microassay is described for determination of myoglobin and hemoglobin content of myocardial and skeletal muscle biopsy specimens from various mammals, birds and fish. As little as 50 mg of tissue is needed and myoglobin concentrations lower than 1 mg% can be detected. Myoglobin and hemoglobin are separated at alkaline pH by ammonium sulfate extraction followed by ultrafiltration. Heme content is determined by absorption of the Soret band when the hemoprotein extract is visibly colored or more sensitively by its peroxidase activity when the extract has low color. The heme reacts with tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide and orthotolidine to generate a blue color. Hemoglobin content is correlated with myoglobin content and is related to aerobic capacity and blood flow to the tissue. Myoglobin content varied over 5 orders of magnitude up to 7 per cent of the weight of tissue, whereas hemoglobin content varied over 2 orders of magnitude up to 6 per cent of tissue weight. Myoglobin content is increased in species with high basal metabolic rate, high physical activity, prolonged diving capacity, fatigue resistance, and red muscle, whereas it is decreased in white muscle, iron-deficient animals, animals with sedentary lifestyles, and in animals and tissues with small fiber diameters such as avian or fish hearts.

Effect of Pimobendan on Case Fatality Rate in Doberman Pinschers with Congestive Heart Failure Caused by Dilated Cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND Despite traditional therapy of a diuretic, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, digoxin, or a combination of these drugs, survival of dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is low. Pimobendan, an inodilator, has both inotropic and balanced peripheral vasodilatory properties. HYPOTHESIS Pimobendan when added to conventional therapy will improve morbidity and reduce case fatality rate in Doberman Pinschers with congestive heart failure (CHF) caused by DCM. ANIMALS Sixteen Doberman Pinschers in CHF caused by DCM. METHODS A prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with treatment failure as the primary and quality of life (QoL) indices as secondary outcome variables. Therapy consisted of furosemide (per os [PO] as required) and benazepril hydrochloride (0.5 mg/kg PO q12h) and dogs were randomized in pairs and by sex to receive pimobendan (0.25 mg/kg PO q12h) or placebo (1 tablet PO q12h). RESULTS Pimobendan-treated dogs had a significant improvement in time to treatment failure (pimobendan median, 130.5 days; placebo median, 14 days; P= .002; risk ratio = 0.35, P= .003, lower 5% confidence limit = 0.13, upper 95% confidence limit = 0.71). Number and rate of dogs reaching treatment failure in the placebo group precluded the analysis of QoL. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Pimobendan should be used as a first-line therapeutic in Doberman Pinschers for the treatment of CHF caused by DCM.

Myocardial myoglobin deficiency in various animal models of congestive heart failure.

Myoglobin is known to protect the mechanical function of the heart from hypoxia by acting as a sarcoplasmic oxygen reservoir and shuttle. We postulated a role for myoglobin in the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure. Several models of congestive heart failure were employed to test the hypothesis, including spontaneous inherited dilated cardiomyopathy in Doberman Pinschers, and heart failure produced by rapid ventricular pacing in dogs, volume overload in chickens and furazolidone toxicity in turkeys. Myocardial myoglobin was decreased by approximately 50% for all models (P less than 0.05). In Doberman Pinschers dogs which are predisposed to the development of dilated cardiomyopathy and have mild subclinical depression of cardiac performance, myocardial myoglobin (1.05 +/- 0.22 mg/g) is approximately 50% decreased compared to healthy mongrel dogs (2.15 +/- 0.52 mg/g), approximately twice as much as dobermans with heart failure (0.47 +/- 0.25 mg/g) but similar to the concentration found in dogs paced to heart failure (1.09 +/- 0.34 mg/g). Myocardium from poultry had remarkably decreased myoglobin compared to mammals (34 +/- 4 micrograms/g) with heart failure produced either by furazolidone or salt toxicity causing a further 50% reduction. In the canine models of heart failure, myocardial myoglobin concentration was demonstrated to be correlated with biochemical and physiological indicators of myocardial performance, namely, mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic reticular ATPase activities, and cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and mean arterial pressure, respectively. Our data implicates a role for myoglobin deficiency in the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure and in the predisposition of doberman pinschers to dilated cardiomyopathy.

Efficacy of Benazepril Hydrochloride to Delay the Progression of Occult Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Doberman Pinschers

BACKGROUND Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) are recommended in people to treat asymptomatic (occult) dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Efficacy of therapy in occult DCM in dogs is unknown. HYPOTHESIS ACEIs, specifically benazepril hydrochloride (BH), will delay the onset of overt DCM in Doberman Pinschers. ANIMALS Ninety-one Doberman Pinschers were studied, 57 dogs received BH, and 34 dogs no ACEI. METHODS Retrospective study of the medical records of all Doberman Pinschers with occult DCM that received BH or no ACEI between April 1989 and February 2003. Two criteria of left ventricular enlargement were used for enrollment: one independent of body weight (BW) (C1) and the other indexed to BW (C2). Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to identify variables associated with the onset of overt DCM. RESULTS On univariate analysis the median time to onset of overt DCM was significantly longer for the benazepril group (for C1: 425 days for BH, 95% confidence interval [CI] 264-625 days; 339 days for no ACEI, CI 172-453 days, P= .02; for C2: 454 days for BH, CI 264-628 days; 356 days for no ACEI, CI 181-547 days, P= .02). The hazard ratio (HR) (benazepril/no ACEI) was 0.57, CI 0.35-0.94, P= .03 for C1; HR = 0.56, CI 0.34-0.93, P= .02 for C2. On multivariate analysis, BH significantly delayed onset of overt DCM (HR [benazepril/no ACEI] = 0.45, CI 0.26-0.78, P < .01, for C1; HR = 0.36, CI 0.21-0.63, P < .01, for C2). CONCLUSIONS BH in particular and ACEIs in general might delay the progression of occult DCM. Prospective studies are warranted to test this theory.

Longitudinal Analysis of Quality of Life, Clinical, Radiographic, Echocardiographic, and Laboratory Variables in Dogs with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease Receiving Pimobendan or Benazepril: The QUEST Study

BACKGROUND Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs. OBJECTIVES To compare, throughout the period of follow-up of dogs that had not yet reached the primary endpoint, the longitudinal effects of pimobendan versus benazepril hydrochloride treatment on quality-of-life (QoL) variables, concomitant congestive heart failure (CHF) treatment, and other outcome variables in dogs suffering from CHF secondary to MMVD. ANIMALS A total of 260 dogs in CHF because of MMVD. METHODS A prospective single-blinded study with dogs randomized to receive pimobendan (0.4-0.6 mg/kg/day) or benazepril hydrochloride (0.25-1.0 mg/kg/day). Differences in outcome variables and time to intensification of CHF treatment were compared. RESULTS A total of 124 dogs were randomized to pimobendan and 128 to benazepril. No difference was found between groups in QoL variables during the trial. Time from inclusion to 1st intensification of CHF treatment was longer in the pimobendan group (pimobendan 98 days, IQR 30-276 days versus benazepril 59 days, IQR 11-121 days; P = .0005). Postinclusion, dogs in the pimobendan group had smaller heart size based on VHS score (P = .013) and left ventricular diastolic (P = .035) and systolic (P = .0044) dimensions, higher body temperature (P = .030), serum sodium (P = .0027), and total protein (P = .0003) concentrations, and packed cell volume (P = .030). Incidence of arrhythmias was similar in treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Pimobendan versus benazepril resulted in similar QoL during the study, but conferred increased time before intensification of CHF treatment. Pimobendan treatment resulted in smaller heart size, higher body temperature, and less retention of free water.