Comparative efficacy of empagliflozin and drugs of baseline therapy in post-infarct heart failure in normoglycemic rats

The study aimed to investigate the effects of the sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor empagliflozin on chronic heart failure (HF) in normoglycemic rats. The effects of empagliflozin were compared with the standard medications for HF, e.g., angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor fosinopril, beta-blocker bisoprolol, and aldosterone antagonist spironolactone. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced in male Wistar rats via permanent ligation of the left descending coronary artery. One-month post MI, 50 animals were randomized into 5 groups (n = 10): vehicle-treated, empagliflozin (1.0 mg/kg), fosinopril (10 mg/kg), bisoprolol (10 mg/kg), and spironolactone (20 mg/kg). All medications except empagliflozin were titrated within a month and administered per os daily for 3 months. Echocardiography, 24-hour urine volume test, and treadmill exercise tests were performed at the beginning and at the end of the study. Treatment with empagliflozin slowed the progression of left ventricular dysfunction: LV sizes and ejection fraction were not changed and the minute volume was significantly increased (from 52.0 ± 15.5 to 61.2 ± 21.2 ml/min) as compared with baseline. No deaths occurred in empagliflozin group. The 24-hour urine volume tends to be higher in empagliflozin and spironolactone groups than in vehicle and fosinopril group. Moreover, empagliflozin exhibited maximal physical exercise tolerance in comparison with all investigated groups (289 ± 27 s versus 183 ± 61 s in fosinopril group, 197 ± 95 s in bisoprolol group, and 47 ± 46 s in spironolactone group, p = 0.0035 for multiple comparisons). Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor empagliflozin reduced progression of left ventricular dysfunction and improved tolerance of physical exercise in normoglycemic rats with HF. Empagliflozin treatment was superior with respect to physical tolerance compared with fosinopril, bisoprolol, and spironolactone.