Beneficial Acute Effects of Rho-Kinase Inhibitor in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

• Published in: Circulation Journal 2006, Vol.70(2), pp.174-178
• Main Authors: Ishikura, Ken, Yamada, Norikazu, Ito, Masaaki, Ota, Satoshi, Nakamura, Mashio, Isaka, Naoki, Nakano, Takeshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine - administration & dosage; 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine - analogs & derivatives; Adult; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Female; Hemodynamics; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension, Pulmonary - drug therapy; Hypertension, Pulmonary - enzymology; Hypertension, Pulmonary - physiopathology; Injections, Intravenous; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Lungs; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism; rho-Associated Kinases; Rho-kinase inhibitor
• ISSN: 1346-9843; 1347-4820
• DOI: 10.1253/circj.70.174

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a poor prognostic disease with limited treatment options. Rho-kinase is involved in the pathophysiology of several diseases underlying smooth muscle hypercontraction, so the purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of fasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor, in patients with PAH. Methods and Results Fasudil 30 mg was intravenously injected over 30 min in 8 patients (all female, mean ± SD, 41±11 years) with PAH. The lowest total pulmonary resistance (TPR) time was within 30-60 min after administration. Administration of fasudil decreased TPR from 1,069±573 dyne · s · cm -5 to 809±416 dyne · s · cm-5 (p