Acute haemodynamic effects of pinacidil in man

The acute haemodynamic effects of i.v. pinacidil 0.2 mg kg-1 infused over 8 min were studied in 10 normotensive patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation. Mean arterial pressure fell from 94 +/- 3 mmHg (mean +/- s.e. mean) before infusion to 74 +/- 3 mmHg at 10 min after commencing infusion (P less than 0.001) and during this time heart rate increased from 75 +/- 4 to 106 +/- 7 beats min-1 (P less than 0.001). Significant changes were recorded until the end of the observation period (70 min after commencing infusion). Cardiac index increased from 3.2 +/- 0.2 to 4.0 +/- 0.2 l min-1 m-2 (P less than 0.001) and systemic vascular resistance fell from 16 +/- 1 to 10 +/- 1 units (P less than 0.001) at 10 min after commencing infusion. By the end of the observation period, the values had returned to pre-infusion levels. Only small changes in pulmonary haemodynamics were observed. These results indicate that pinacidil acts as a peripheral arteriolar vasodilator, and as such may have a role in the treatment of arterial hypertension and of cardiac failure.