Evaluation of the effect of the carvedilol in the cardiac remodeling in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs is a disease of the heart muscle, of slow progression that courses
with an eccentric dilation of the ventricular walls with decrease of the myocardium contractility, leading to a
systolic dysfunction. After this the atrials cameras expand, causing poor diastolic function producing finally
congestive heart insufficiency and failure. It is the most common disturbance of the canine myocardium. It occurs
in young dogs or of stocking age and the exact etiology is unknown, although genetic and nutritive factors have
been appointed. The disease seems to happen more commonly in pure dogs and in families groups suggesting a
hereditary component. Blocking beta Carvedilol is well tolerated by human patients with congestive heart
insufficiency. Carvedilol blocks by competition the receptors beta1, beta2 and alpha1, the drug lacks of
sympathomimetic activity and produce vasodilatation mainly through the blockade alpha 1. It is assumed by the
use of carvedilol an improvement of the myocardic function due to a reduction in the left ventricular size with
regression of the hypertrophy in human patients with light and moderate essential hypertension. It was
demonstrated in humans, protecting effects against the myocardic necrosis, arrythmia and against the cellular
offense caused by free radicals. With intention of testing the use of Carvedilol for the treatment of dilated
cardiomyopathy in dogs, a clinical study was accomplished in 7 dogs, treated with 3,125 mg/animal of carvedilol.
The heart monitoring was fundamentally conducted by the analysis of the heart silhouette starting from x-rays in
sequence, analyzed through the program AUTOCAD 2002 . Considering the results of decrease of the heart area, clinical improvement, longevity with quality obtained with the use of the drug, it is suggested the
accomplishment of multicentric studies in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy. The survey of the cardiac area with
the use of AUTOCAD 2002 , should be introduced in clinical veterinary practice for its versatility, low cost and
effectiveness, providing trust worthy parameters of the evolution for long periods of dilated cardiomyopathy in
dogs.