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Camera-based Measurements of Intracellular [Na+] in Murine Atrial Myocytes
Published on: May 27, 2022
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Tissue Sodium Storage in Patients With Heart Failure: A New Therapeutic Target?
Sandrine Lemoine1,2,3, Fabio R Salerno1,4,2,3, Alireza Akbari1,4,3
1Lilibeth Caberto Kidney Clinical Research Unit (S.L., F.R.S., A.A., C.W.M.), University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Circulation. Cardiovascular Imaging
|November 16, 2021
Summary
Patients with heart failure (HF) have significantly higher tissue sodium levels than those with chronic kidney disease. This finding, using sodium-23 magnetic resonance imaging, may help personalize HF treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Nephrology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Preclinical studies suggest tissue sodium accumulation, independent of fluid overload, may drive adverse remodeling and inflammation in heart failure (HF).
- Non-invasive quantification of tissue sodium storage is achievable using sodium-23 magnetic resonance imaging (23Na-MRI).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if patients with HF and renal dysfunction exhibit higher tissue sodium concentrations compared to patients with chronic kidney disease alone.
- To compare tissue sodium levels in HF patients with those in hemodialysis patients and chronic kidney disease patients.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory study involving 18 HF patients, 34 hemodialysis patients, and 31 chronic kidney disease patients (matched for glomerular filtration rate).
- 23Na-MRI of the calf was performed on all participants to quantify tissue sodium content.
Main Results:
- Patients with HF showed significantly higher skin sodium content than matched chronic kidney disease patients (P=0.005) and comparable levels to hemodialysis patients.
- Muscle sodium content was also significantly higher in HF patients compared to chronic kidney disease patients (P=0.002).
- Higher skin sodium correlated with increased sodium excretion fraction, while lower skin sodium was observed in volume-depleted patients.
Conclusions:
- Patients with HF exhibit substantial skin sodium storage, similar to levels seen in end-stage kidney disease requiring hemodialysis.
- 23Na-MRI offers a potential tool for precision medicine in managing challenging HF cases.
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