Chronic gliclazide treatment affects basal and post-ischemic cardiac function in diabetic rats

Abstract 1. A 6-week gliclazide treatment improved left ventricular developed pressure and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, left ventricular pressure-rate products in isolated working hearts from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. 2. Post-ischemic recovery in heart rate, left ventricular developed pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, left ventricular pressure-rate products and cardiac work were also shown in gliclazide-treated diabetic rats. 3. Gliclazide treatment did not modify the degree of insulinopenia and hyperglycemia, nor the myocardial energy metabolism during ischemia-reperfusion. 4. The results suggest that the gliclazide treatment has a cardioprotective effect on basal and post-ischemic cardiac functions of chronic diabetes.