Effects of cardiac transplantation on endothelium-dependent dilation of the peripheral vasculature in congestive heart failure

Patients with congestive heart failure demonstrate attenuated endothelium-dependent vasodilation of the peripheral vasculature, but there are no data regarding the effect of therapies on this abnormality or whether this abnormality is reversible. This study was performed to address the hypothesis that abnormalities in endothelium-dependent vasodilation in heart failure are improved by heart transplantation. Forearm blood flow responses to the intraarterial administration of a dose range of methacholine, an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, and nitroprusside, an endothelium-independent vasodilator, were examined in 2 separate protocols. In protocol 1, forearm blood flow responses to methacholine in 14 heart transplant recipients were 5.02 [+ or -] 3.11, 11.55 [+ or -] 7.20 and 11.61 * 10.24 ml/min/100 ml forearm volume. These responses were sigaificantly greater then those in 10 patients with heart failure (2.23 [+ or -] 1.22, 4.60 [+ or -] 3.43 and 6.70 [+ or -] 4.91 ml/min/100 ml forearm volume; p (Am J Cardiol 1993;71:88-93)