Repetitive and Brief Occlusion of the Majority of the Vena Cava Flow Attenuates Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Improves IK+ of the Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells in Rat Models: a novel potential therapeutic strategy for PAH

Abstract

By now, there are limited therapeutic approaches satisfactory for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment. In the present study, we established a novel rat model, repetitive and brief occlusion (RBO) of the majority of the right atrium venous blood flow in the conscious rats. Using this model, we found that the RBO treatment significantly improved the pulmonary hemodynamics with a lower pulmonary vascular resistance observed. The IK+ and big-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels were involved in the mechanism of the RBO treatment for PAH. Although the results are limited, the conclusion are solid and we believe this manuscript is valuable for all the researchers and clinical doctors who are interested in PAH.