Myocardial contractility after infarction and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I inhibition in rats

inhibition of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I with etomoxir increases sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-transport and V-1 isomyosin expression. To test whether etomoxir attenuates contractile dysfunction after myocardial infarction, we compared the contractility of papillary muscles from etomoxir- and placebo-treated rats 6 weeks after infarction. Etomoxir induced cardiac hypertrophy in animals with small infarctions, and enhanced compensatory heart growth at large infarct size. Contractile function of papillary muscles from etomoxir-treated rats was improved particularly in animals with small infarctions. Thus, induction of mild cardiac hypertrophy by etomoxir in rats with small infarctions may be beneficial for myocardial performance. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.