Tofogliflozin improved pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in mice

Abstract Introduction Pulmonary hypertension (PH) caused by left heart diseases is categorized as the group 2 (PH-LHD). PH-LHD due to heart failure with preserved LV ejection fraction (HFpEF) is more prevalent in patients with metabolic syndrome and shows poorer prognosis than LHD without PH. Tofogliflozin (TOFO) is an SGLT2 inhibitor utilized for diabetic treatment. Recent studies revealed that the SGLT2 inhibitor has a beneficial effect on heart failure; however, it remains unclear whether the SGLT2 inhibitor is effective for the treatment of PH-LHD. Hypothesis We hypothesized that TOFO has a protective effect on PH with HFpEF. Methods We generated two murine models for PH-LHD due to HFpEF, a transverse aortic constriction (TAC) model and a high fat diet (HFD) model. C57BL/6J mice were subjected to TAC and treated with TOFO (3 mg/kg) for 4weeks. In another model, AKR/J mice were fed HFD or normal chow diet and treated with TOFO (3mg/kg in water) for 20 weeks. We then measured physical data including body weight (BW), left ventricular weight (LV), right ventricular weight (RV), and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and performed echocardiography. Results Mice treated with TOFO demonstrated increased urine glucose level. TAC induced left ventricular hypertrophy and increased RVSP. TOFO treatment improved RV/LV ratio and RVSP in TAC mice (Figure 1). HFD fed AKR/J mice demonstrated increased BW and PH as demonstrated by increased RV/LV ratio and RVSP compared with the normal chow group. TOFO treatment ameliorated the increases of BW, RV/LV ratio, and RVSP in HFD fed AKR/J mice (Figure 2). Conclusions TOFO treatment improved pulmonary hypertension in two models for PH-LHD due to HFpEF, suggesting that the SGLT2 inhibitor is effective for the treatment of this condition. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Figure 2. TOFO reduced RVSP caused by HFD