Myocardial contractility after infarction and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I inhibition in rats

inhibition of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I with etomoxir increases sarc oplasmic reticulum Ca2+-transport and V-1 isomyosin expression. To test whe ther etomoxir attenuates contractile dysfunction after myocardial infarctio n, we compared the contractility of papillary muscles from etomoxir- and pl acebo-treated rats 6 weeks after infarction. Etomoxir induced cardiac hyper trophy in animals with small infarctions, and enhanced compensatory heart g rowth at large infarct size. Contractile function of papillary muscles from etomoxir-treated rats was improved particularly in animals with small infa rctions. Thus, induction of mild cardiac hypertrophy by etomoxir in rats wi th small infarctions may be beneficial for myocardial performance. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.