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Assessment of long-term therapy with milrinone and the effects of milrinone withdrawal.

To assess the long-term efficacy of milrinone in patients with severe congestive heart failure, we obtained hemodynamic measurements (systemic arterial and right heart catheterization) in 13 patients at baseline and after intravenous administration of milrinone. After continuous oral milrinone therapy of 8 +/- 4 months duration, repeat hemodynamic study was performed in patients on oral milrinone therapy, after withdrawal of milrinone, and after readministration of milrinone intravenously. Comparison of initial baseline and withdrawal hemodynamic measurements for the group as a whole showed no interval progression of heart failure, as reflected by the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (27 +/- 8 to 24 +/- 12 mm Hg, NS) or the cardiac index (2.0 +/- 0.4 to 2.1 +/- 0.8 liters/min/m2, NS). Individual comparisons of milrinone-free hemodynamics revealed that five patients had improved hemodynamically, three patients were unchanged, and five patients had deteriorated, four of whom manifested dependence on milrinone with a progressive hemodynamic decline after milrinone withdrawal which required readministration of milrinone on an emergency basis. Continued efficacy of milrinone was observed on readmission after withdrawal: pulmonary capillary wedge pressure fell from 27 +/- 8 to 16 +/- 10 mm Hg (p = .001) initially and from 24 +/- 12 to 13 +/- 11 mm Hg (p = .001) at readministration, while cardiac index rose from 2.0 +/- 0.4 to 2.8 +/- 0.5 liters/min/m2 (p = .001) initially and from 2.1 +/- 0.8 to 2.7 +/- 0.5 liters/min/m2 (p = .005) upon readministration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Oral

Efficacy of phosphodiesterase inhibition with milrinone in combination with converting enzyme inhibitors in patients with heart failure. The Milrinone Multicenter Trials Investigators.

We describe the results of two placebo-controlled trials (MIL-1077 and MIL-1078) designed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of oral milrinone administered together with converting enzyme inhibitors to patients with congestive heart failure. Although these trials were terminated prematurely, they provide the only controlled data regarding the effect of oral milrinone on exercise capacity in patients receiving converting enzyme inhibitors. Of the 254 patients randomized, 140 completed one of the trials or reached an end point and are the basis of this report. In both trials, there was a clear trend for an increase in exercise capacity in the milrinone-treated patients (+26 +/- 8% vs. +5 +/- 7% in MIL-1077 and +11 +/- 5% vs. +2 +/- 4% in MIL-1078). Symptoms of congestive heart failure were decreased in one trial but not the other. Quality of life, as assessed by a questionnaire, was not effected in either trial. There was an increased incidence of adverse events in milrinone-treated patients. Adverse events related primarily to hypotension and vasodilation led to discontinuation of drug in 18 milrinone-treated patients vs. 1 placebo-treated patient. Milrinone had little or no proarrhythmic effect and cardiovascular deaths were distributed equally between the milrinone and placebo groups. These data suggest that when used in combination with a converting enzyme inhibitor, oral milrinone improves exercise capacity but is associated with a high incidence of adverse events that appear to be related to excessive vasodilation.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors

Multicenter, double-blind study of intravenous milrinone for patients with acute heart failure in Japan. Japan Intravenous Milrinone Investigators.

OBJECTIVES: Milrinone is a phosphodiesterase F-III inhibitor with positive inotropic and vasodilating activities. We investigated the hemodynamic response and pharmacokinetics of intravenous milrinone in patients with acute heart failure. DESIGN: Double-blind studies: a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, dose-finding study and a placebo-controlled, double-blind, comparative study. SETTING: Patients with acute heart failure (pulmonary artery occlusion pressure of > or = 18 mm Hg), who were hospitalized in the cardiac care units of 33 institutes in Japan, were entered into the study. PATIENTS: Fifty-four patients with acute or decompensated heart failure in the dose-finding study and 52 patients in the placebo-controlled, double-blind, comparative study. INTERVENTIONS: The present multicenter study consisted of a double-blind, dose-finding study (50-micrograms/kg intravenous loading dose, followed by 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75 microgram/kg/min of a continuous infusion of milrinone for 6 hrs, n = 54), and a placebo-controlled, double-blind, comparative study (50-micrograms/kg loading dose, followed by 0.5 microgram/kg/min of a continuous infusion of milrinone vs. placebo treatment, n = 52). We investigated the effects on cardiovascular hemodynamics, subjective symptoms, physical findings, and the pharmacokinetics of intravenous milrinone in a total of 106 patients with acute heart failure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In the double-blind, dose-finding study, dose-dependent inotropic/vasodilating hemodynamic effects were documented for percent changes in cardiac index (+21.2%, +25.8%, and +30.9%, respectively) and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (-12.8%, -17.0%, -41.3%, respectively) vs. plasma drug concentration at the equilibrium state (6 hrs after starting continuous infusion; 97 +/- 13, 197 +/- 22, and 284 +/- 28 ng/mL, respectively). Throughout the 6-hr infusion period, subjective symptoms were improved in 40%, 46.2%, and 70% of patients, respectively, for the three continuous infusion rates (0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 microgram/kg/min). In the placebo-controlled, double-blind, comparative study, the milrinone group exhibited marked improvement in cardiovascular hemodynamics (pulmonary artery occlusion pressure: from 26 +/- 6 to 15 +/- 3 mm Hg; cardiac index: from 2.6 +/- 0.9 to 3.3 +/- 1.1 L/min/m2) within 15 mins after starting drug administration. However, the placebo group showed no significant hemodynamic changes. Subjective symptoms and physical findings of acute heart failure improved in 47.6% and 40%, respectively, of patients within 60 mins after starting milrinone. The placebo group, however, showed no improvement providing inotropic/vasodilating (both 0%). CONCLUSION: Continuous infusion of milrinone (0.25 to 0.75 microgram/kg/min) after a 50-micrograms/kg loading dose is effective for inotropic/vasodilating hemodynamic support in patients with acute or decompensated heart failure.

Acute Disease

Comparative efficacy of short-term intravenous infusions of milrinone and dobutamine in acute congestive heart failure following acute myocardial infarction. Milrinone-Dobutamine Study Group.

The purpose of this study was to compare the hemodynamic and clinical effects of milrinone, a vasodilating and positive inotropic agent, with those of dobutamine in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Thirty-three patients in Killip classification II or III within 12 h to 5 days after AMI were randomized in a multicenter, open-label clinical trial to receive a 24-h infusion of milrinone or dobutamine. Drugs were titrated to achieve at least a 30% increase in cardiac index (CI) from mean baseline or at least a 25% decrease in mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (MPCWP) from baseline. Both drugs improved CI, MPCWP, and other hemodynamic parameters. Criteria for decrease in MPCWP were met by 94% (15/16) of the milrinone-treated patients and 57% (8/14) of dobutamine-treated patients (p = 0.03). Both groups met the minimum efficacy criterion for CI. Maximal reduction in MPCWP over 0-3 h was greater in the milrinone group (-53.2%) than in the dobutamine group (-31.0%; p < or = 0.01); reductions were sustained over 24 h. Both drugs improved echocardiographic global ejection fraction and were generally well tolerated. The short-term infusion of milrinone may have a role in the management of CHF following AMI, especially when the aim is the rapid reduction of pulmonary congestion.

Acute Disease

[Hemodynamic effects of milrinone on patients with chronic congestive heart failure: a multicenter study. Cooperative Group for Phase II Clinical Trial of Milrinone].

In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled trial, hemodynamic effects of domestic milrinone were studied in 57 patients with functional class III or IV chronic congestive heart failure. The baseline values of hemodynamic parameters were measured with standard method through Swan-Ganz catheter. During intravenous infusion of milrinone or placebo, the changes of hemodynamic parameters were monitored throughout the procedure. Compared with the baseline values, cardiac index increased from 2.20 +/- 0.64 to 2.95 +/- 0.71L/min.m2 (P < 0.05) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure fell from 22.7 +/- 7.64 to 15.56 +/- 8.13 mmHg (P < 0.05) during intravenous infusion of milrinone. The placebo had no effects on hemodynamics in this group of patients. Milrinone has both inotropic and vasodilative effects on patients with chronic congestive heart failure.

Adolescent

Intravenous milrinone following cardiac surgery: I. Effects of bolus infusion followed by variable dose maintenance infusion. The European Milrinone Multicentre Trial Group.

The hemodynamic and adverse effects of intravenous milrinone were studied in 99 adult patients (66 men) following elective myocardial revascularization, mitral and/or aortic valve surgery. All patients had a low cardiac output (cardiac index [CI] mean 1.93, range, 1.11 to 2.5 L/min/m2) despite adequate cardiac filling pressure (mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure [PCWP] 11.5 mmHg, range, 8 to 20 mmHg). Following a period of baseline stability (mean 17.8 minutes, range, 10 to 50 minutes), patients received a bolus infusion of 50 micrograms/kg over 10 minutes. A continuous maintenance infusion of 0.375 (low), 0.5 (mid) or 0.75 (high) micrograms/kg/min was administered for a minimum of 12 hours. Patients were allocated to each dosage group sequentially, not randomly. Hemodynamic measurements were made before the start of milrinone and 15 minutes after the bolus infusion. Further measurements were made at 30, 45, and 60 minutes, and at 3, 6, and 12 hours after the start of treatment. Measurements were also made at 2 and 4 hours after treatment was stopped. The bolus infusion caused significant increases in CI, heart rate (HR), and stroke index (SI), (P < 0.001), and significant falls in PCWP, right atrial pressure (RAP), mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) (P < 0.001). These effects were maintained to a significant degree by each of the three maintenance infusion regimens, although the pulmonary vasodilator effects appeared less predictable and more dose dependent. Eighteen patients (19%) had arrhythmias; 16 of these were judged not to be serious events. Two were deemed serious; these were both episodes of fast atrial fibrillation (AF).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Intravenous milrinone following cardiac surgery: II. Influence of baseline hemodynamics and patient factors on therapeutic response. The European Milrinone Multicentre Trial Group.

Further analysis of the data from 99 adult patients who received an intravenous infusion of milrinone following elective cardiac surgery was done. All patients received a bolus infusion of 50 micrograms/kg over 10 minutes, followed by a maintenance infusion of either 0.375, 0.5 or 0.75 microgram/kg/min for a period of 12 hours. Hemodynamic measurements were made after the bolus infusion (15 minutes), and then after 30, 45, and 60 minutes at 3, 6, and 12 hours, and 4 hours after treatment was stopped. The following was found: (1) pretreatment cardiac index (CI) affected the response to treatment. Patients with a low CI (1.59 L/min/m2) had a 54% increase after the bolus infusion compared to a 27% increase in patients with a higher pretreatment value (2.2 L/min/m2) (P < 0.05); (2) patients with a high resting level of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR > 200 dynes.sec.cm-5) had a greater response to treatment (26% fall in PVR) than the remainder (9% fall in PVR) after 60 minutes; (3) patients with a low pretreatment mean arterial pressure (MAP) (n = 17, MAP 64 mmMg, range, 52 to 70) showed no fall in MAP following treatment, but showed a significant increase in CI (+55%). A good therapeutic response was found that was similar in patients undergoing valve replacement surgery or coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and in patients in sinus rhythm or atrial fibrillation before treatment. It is concluded that the therapeutic response to intravenous milrinone following cardiac surgery is partially determined by pretreatment hemodynamics.

Adult

Evaluation of the vasodilator vs inotropic effect of milrinone using an animal model of left ventricular failure: reversal of disopyramide depression of the myocardium with milrinone.

Milrinone (M) has been shown to improve left ventricular (LV) performance in animal and human studies. M has strong vasodilator action, and whether increased LV performance is due primarily to vasodilation or to a direct positive inotropic effect is unclear. Ten mongrel dogs were studied. Disopyramide caused a significant and sustained decrease in LV function and was a good model for myocardial depression. At equal reduction in systemic vascular resistance (SVR), M reversed this LV depression to a significantly greater degree than nitroprusside (NP) did. At equal levels of vasodilation, M produced significantly greater improvement in indices of LV function than NP did in our model of disopyramide-induced LV failure. This suggest that its effect on LV function is not due entirely to afterload reduction, or to reflex sympathetic stimulation, but has a substantial component of direct inotropic stimulation. This study also demonstrated a reversal of disopyramide-induced LV dysfunction by M, which may be clinically useful since, as in many antiarrhythmics, myocardial depression may be a limiting factor in its use.

Animals

Studies on the mechanism of action of the bipyridine milrinone on the heart.

Milrinone is a positive inotropic and vasodilator agent when tested in experimental animals and in human heart-failure patients. It is generally believed that milrinone acts by inhibiting phosphodiesterase IV, thus increasing cyclic AMP, [Ca++]i and cardiac contractile force and relaxation. Maximal force produced by milrinone is greater when single-dose response curves are compared to cumulative dose-response curves. In vitro, milrinone produces a tachyphylaxis, the extent of which is both dose- and time-dependent. Recovery of tachyphylaxis is both dose- and time-dependent and is not influenced by inhibitors of protein or RNA synthesis. There is a specific cross-tachyphylaxis between milrinone and amrinone, theophylline, papaverine, and Bay K8644. This tachyphylaxis may explain the low maximal contractile response of the cumulative dose-response observed in isolated tissues. Milrinone increased cyclic AMP in dog and guinea pig cardiac muscle. As previously shown by Endoh et al., milrinone in low doses produced a biphasic effect on cyclic AMP. The early increase (first 60-70 s) in cyclic AMP shows a good correlation with contractile force changes. If cyclic AMP is determined at maximal contractile force this correlation was poor. Here we also present instances where the increase in cyclic AMP after milrinone (determined at maximal effect) does not correlate with the contractile response. The cross-tachyphylaxis of milrinone with Bay K8644 suggests that milrinone has an action on the sarcolemmal Ca++ channels. Bay K8644 suppresses the positive inotropic effect of catecholamines by 50%, but not the cyclic AMP response. The inotropic effect of milrinone, in contrast to norepinephrine is highly sensitive to [Ca++]0, stimulation rate, and [K+]0. In this respect milrinone behaves more like Bay K8644. We postulate that the main inotropic action of milrinone is due to a sarcolemmal effect. The early cyclic AMP production described could be in the sarcolemmal compartment and this may explain some of the similarities of milrinone's actions with those of Bay K8644. The tachyphylaxis observed with the inotropic effect of milrinone does not extend to the decreases in relaxation time. This and other findings to be discussed suggest that the positive inotropic and reduction in relaxation time by milrinone depend on different mechanisms, possibly through differential compartmentalization of cyclic AMP.

Animals

Immediate effects of milrinone on metabolic and sympathetic responses to exercise in severe congestive heart failure.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled protocol was used to determine whether milrinone exerts an immediate effect on exercise performance in patients with severe congestive heart failure. In each of 14 patients with New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure, intravenous milrinone (mean 57 +/- 5 micrograms/kg) and placebo were randomly administered just before maximal progressive upright cycle ergometry. The duration of exercise was significantly longer with milrinone than with placebo treatment (placebo 11.0 +/- 0.6 minutes, milrinone 12.5 +/- 0.9 minutes, p = 0.01). Compared with placebo, milrinone caused a higher peak oxygen uptake (placebo 10.8 +/- 0.6 ml/kg/min, milrinone 12.4 +/- 0.7 ml/kg/min, p = 0.001) and oxygen uptake at the anaerobic threshold (placebo 7.8 +/- 0.4 ml/kg/min, milrinone 9.2 +/- 0.4 ml/kg/min, p = 0.001). At peak exercise intensity, systolic blood pressure (placebo 119 +/- 5 mm Hg, milrinone 131 +/- 5 mm Hg, p = 0.001) and heart rate (placebo 114 +/- 5 beats/min, milrinone 126 +/- 6 beats/min, p = 0.001) were both increased with milrinone. Likewise, at matched submaximal exercise intensities, heart rate (placebo 111 +/- 19 beats/min, milrinone 117 +/- 20 beats/min, p less than 0.05) and systolic blood pressure (placebo 116 +/- 19 mm Hg, milrinone 121 +/- 19 mm Hg, p = 0.04) were higher with milrinone; plasma norepinephrine (placebo 1,692 +/- 208 ng/liter, milrinone 1,320 +/- 216 ng/liter, p = 0.05) and blood lactate concentrations (placebo 2.2 +/- 0.2 mM, milrinone 1.9 +/- 0.2 mM, p less than 0.05) were lower.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged

Competition of milrinone, a non-iodinated cardiac inotropic agent, with thyroid hormone for binding sites on human serum prealbumin (TBPA).

Milrinone [2-methyl-5-cyano-(3,4'-bipyridin)-6(1H)-one] is a positive cardiac inotropic agent recently shown to have thyromimetic activity in vitro in a rabbit myocardial membrane Ca2+-ATPase system [K. M. Mylotte et al., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 7974 (1985)]. In the present studies, milrinone was examined for activity as an inhibitor of iodothyronine binding by human serum thyroid hormone transport proteins, thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), prealbumin (TBPA) and albumin. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 9.0 of sera equilibrated with [125I]thyroxine showed that milrinone competed with L-thyroxine (T4) for binding sites on TBPA (10 and 100 microM milrinone caused 61 and 73% reductions, respectively, in T4 binding to TBPA, P less than 0.01); T4 displaced from TBPA was bound by TBG and albumin. Comparable reductions in T4 binding to TBPA were observed in electrophoretic studies conducted at pH 7.4. Binding of triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) to TBPA was electrophoretically confirmed and shown to be decreased in the presence of milrinone. Electrophoresis of purified TBPA also demonstrated that [14C]milrinone co-migrated with this transport protein and that milrinone displaced tracer T4 from TBPA. Amrinone, the 2-H-5-NH2 analog of milrinone, had less than 5% of the activity of milrinone as an inhibitor of T4 binding in electrophoretic studies. Scatchard analysis of T4 and milrinone binding to purified TBPA, measured by equilibrium dialysis, showed two classes of binding sites, with association constants, respectively, of 6.1 X 10(7) M-1 and 1.6 X 10(6) M-1 for T4, and 1.7 X 10(6) M-1 and 8.9 X 10(2) M-1 for milrinone. Computer graphic modeling of the binding of milrinone to the T4 site in the crystal structure of TBPA showed that milrinone best occupied this site when the substituted bipyridine ring overlapped the phenolic ring of T4. In this orientation the 5-cyano group, which has an electronegativity similar to that of iodine, occupied the same volume as the 5'-iodine of T4. The 5-amino group of amrinone lacks these characteristics. In this orientation, the keto function of milrinone overlapped the T4 4'-hydroxyl and could participate in similar intermolecular interactions. Thus, milrinone, a non-iodinated bipyridine, and thyroid hormone share structural and biochemical homologies and compete for the same binding site on TBPA.

Amrinone

The efficacy and safety of milrinone for treating heart failure in dogs.

Milrinone has been studied in a variety of situations. In experimental dogs it has been documented to increase contractility to a similar degree as beta-receptor agonists and to produce mild arteriolar dilation in dogs. In canine patients with heart failure, milrinone produces demonstrable improvement in echocardiographic ventricular function and hemodynamic variables. In addition, it improves clinical signs in these patients, improving their quality of life. Milrinone is superior to digoxin as evidenced by the improvement in clinical signs noted in dogs that were unresponsive or no longer responding to digoxin administration. There is no doubt that milrinone improves short-term prognosis and in so doing prolongs life. Many of the patients that the author has observed would not have gone home without the benefits of milrinone. Milrinone's effects on long-term survival cannot be assessed, but its effects on survival time are certainly not dramatic enough to be evident without a comparison population. Therefore, milrinone administration should be considered palliative, as is administration of all other cardiovascular medications for heart failure. In addition to its beneficial effects, milrinone also appears to be relatively safe when compared with the alternative of digoxin administration. Fatal events attributable to milrinone administration are rare, and those directly attributable to enhanced ventricular arrhythmia can generally be avoided by monitoring an electrocardiogram after initial milrinone administration commences. Milrinone does not increase the incidence of sudden death in Doberman Pinschers. It is possible that a small number of dogs with mitral regurgitation may develop mitral chordal rupture. For this reason and possibly others, milrinone probably will not be indicated in early heart failure due to mitral regurgitation when heart failure is readily responsive to diuretic administration. The risk-to-benefit ratio turns markedly in the favor of milrinone administration in the dog with mitral regurgitation that is partially or completely refractory to other cardiovascular drugs. Milrinone appears to be a more effective and safer positive inotrope for long-term treatment of dogs with congestive heart failure than drugs currently available. The author and all the investigators involved in the milrinone clinical trials hope that it will soon be available for use by the veterinary community.

Animals

Effects of milrinone on pulmonary vasculature in normal dogs and in dogs with pulmonary hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of milrinone on pulmonary vasculature. BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that bipyridines or their derivatives may have a selective pulmonary vasodilation effect. METHODS: Preliminary study: milrinone administration to 12 normal dogs (low dose [bolus 75 micrograms/kg for 5 min followed by a continuous infusion at 0.75 micrograms/kg.min, n = 6]; high dose [bolus 150 micrograms/kg for 5 min followed by continuous infusion at 1.5 micrograms/kg.min, n = 6]). Main study: milrinone administration to 18 dogs with pulmonary hypertension due to pulmonary embolism induced by a massive injection of autologous muscle cubes. The pulmonary hypertension dogs were divided into three groups: a) group E (n = 6) received embolization only, as control; b) group L (n = 6) received low-dose milrinone; and c) group H (n = 6) received high-dose milrinone, equivalent to the preliminary study group. Hemodynamic measurements and blood samplings were obtained at baseline and at 15, 30, and 60 min after start of milrinone infusion. RESULTS: Milrinone did not change mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) in normal dogs. Milrinone decreased MPAP significantly in dogs with pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary vascular resistance index remained at an almost constant level in normal dogs, but decreased significantly in dogs with pulmonary hypertension. Mean arterial pressure was maintained at a constant level in all groups. High-dose milrinone administration decreased systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) significantly; low-dose milrinone administration decreased SVRI slightly. CONCLUSIONS: Milrinone may have a selective pulmonary vasodilatory effect only in dogs with pulmonary hypertension. The mechanism that produced a selectivity on pulmonary vasculature in dogs with pulmonary hypertension is unknown. However, an inhibition of platelet aggregation may decrease the MPAP resulting from an increase in cAMP caused by milrinone. Further studies are needed to resolve the pulmonary vasodilatory effect of milrinone in dogs with pulmonary hypertension.

Animals

A comparison of oral milrinone, digoxin, and their combination in the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure.

We randomly assigned 230 patients in sinus rhythm with moderately severe heart failure to treatment with digoxin, milrinone, both, or placebo. The effects of each were compared during a 12-week, double-blind trial. Treatment with milrinone or digoxin significantly increased treadmill exercise time as compared with placebo (by 82 and 64 seconds respectively; 95 percent confidence limits, 44 and 123, and 30 and 100). Both treatments reduced the frequency of decompensation from heart failure, from 47 percent with placebo to 34 percent with milrinone (P less than 0.05; 95 percent confidence limits, 22 and 46) and 15 percent with digoxin (P less than 0.01; 95 percent confidence limits, 7 and 26). However, the clinical condition of 20 percent of the patients taking milrinone deteriorated within two weeks after treatment was begun, as compared with only 3 percent of those taking digoxin (P less than 0.05). The left ventricular ejection fraction at rest was not significantly changed by milrinone (+0.2 percent; 95 percent confidence limits, -1.5 and 1.9), but it was increased by digoxin (+1.7 percent; P less than 0.01; 95 percent confidence limits, -0.03 and 3.4) and decreased by placebo (-2.0 percent; 95 percent confidence limits, -3.8 and -0.1). Three-month survival was related inversely to the base-line ejection fraction. Analysis of mortality from all causes according to the intention to treat suggested an adverse effect of milrinone (P = 0.064). After adjustment for an excess of patients with lower ejection fractions randomly assigned to receive milrinone, this trend was not significant (P = 0.26). Increased ventricular arrhythmias occurred more frequently in patients who received milrinone than in those who did not (18 vs. 4 percent; P less than 0.03). We conclude that milrinone significantly increased exercise tolerance and reduced the frequency of worsened heart failure. However, in the population of patients studied, milrinone or the combination of milrinone and digoxin offered no advantage over digoxin alone. Furthermore, our data suggest that milrinone may aggravate ventricular arrhythmias.

Administration, Oral

Effect of milrinone on thromboxane A2 synthesis, cAMP phosphodiesterase and 45Ca2+ uptake by human platelets.

The phosphodiesterase inhibitors milrinone and isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) inhibited the conversion of [3H]cAMP to [3H]AMP by washed human platelets in concentration-dependent manners (IC50: milrinone, 2.6 x 10(-6) M; IBMX, 4.6 x 10(-6) M). Milrinone and IBMX increased cAMP levels when stimulated by a single concentration (0.3 microM) of iloprost. EC50:milrinone, 5.6 x 10(-5) M; IBMX, 3 x 10(-5) M. Milrinone was a potent inhibitor of platelet thromboxane A2 (TXA2) synthesis when stimulated by median stimulatory doses of collagen (IC50: 3 x 10(-7) M), sodium fluoride (NaF) (a non-specific G protein activator; IC50: 3 x 10(-7) M) and phorbol ester myristate acetate (PMA) (a protein kinase C activator; IC50: 2.2 x 10(-7) M). In contrast, at median stimulatory doses of A23187 and arachidonate there was a marked decrease in the potency of milrinone in inhibiting TXA2 synthesis. Milrinone had a weak inhibitory effect on TXA2 synthesis when elicited by freeze fracturing. In all experiments IBMX was a weaker inhibitor of TXA2 synthesis, although the general pattern of effects was similar to milrinone. Milrinone inhibited both collagen- and adrenaline-stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake by human platelets in dose-dependent manners. Since platelet TXA2 synthesis is dependent on Ca2+, and milrinone inhibited 45Ca2+ uptake, it is concluded that milrinone exerts its inhibitory effect on platelet activity, principally through an action on Ca2+ mobilisation/binding to effector proteins (protein kinase C and/or phospholipase A2).

3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases

Structure-activity relationships of milrinone analogues determined in vitro in a rabbit heart membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase model.

The cardiac activity of a series of analogues of the positive inotropic bipyridines amrinone (5-amino-[3,4'-bipyridin]-6(1H)-one) and milrinone (2-methyl-5-cyano-[3,4'-bipyridin]-6(1H)-one) was evaluated in vitro in a rabbit myocardial membrane Mg(2+)-dependent, Ca(2+)-stimulable adenosine triphosphatase (Ca(2+)-ATPase) model and structure-activity relationships were compared for nine closely related derivatives. In the present studies, a 5-bromo analogue of milrinone stimulated myocardial membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase significantly (10(-7) M; P < 0.001 vs control, with 67% of the activity of milrinone), whereas a 2'-methyl-2H-milrinone derivative was inactive. Although amrinone was inactive in this assay, its 2-methyl analogue was stimulatory. However, analogues lacking a 2-substituent (with or without a 5-cyano group) or with the 3-N position blocked by a methyl group did not stimulate myocardial membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase activity. Structural data for these bipyridines show that those with either a 2- or 2'-methyl substituent have a twist conformation, whereas those without are nearly planar. Activity data reveal that those bipyridines with a nonplanar conformation are more active in the Ca(2+)-ATPase assay. Further study of milrinone analogues with a 2'-methyl substituent shows that even though the effect on the twist angle is equivalent to that of 2-methyl substitution, these analogues are less potent. Data for this series reveal that the prerequisites for Ca(2+)-ATPase stimulation include not only a 2-methyl to maintain a twist conformation but also a free 3-N position and a 5-substituent. This model for optimal activity in the myocardial membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase system differs from those proposed for phosphodiesterase enzyme receptor recognition only in the requirement for a nonplanar molecule. We have previously shown that milrinone, but not amrinone, shares structural homology with thyroxine and was able to stimulate myocardial membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase activity in a manner similar to the thyroid hormone. Additionally, milrinone, but not amrinone, was an effective competitor for thyroxine binding to the serum transport protein transthyretin. Analysis of the milrinone-transthyretin crystal complex confirms the structural homology between milrinone and thyroid hormone which is not shared by amrinone. Modeling studies of the binding interactions of milrinone analogues indicate that the 2-desmethylmilrinone analogue, the most inhibitory analogue, lacks the hydrophobic contacts present in milrinone in its transthyretin-bound complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Amrinone

Myocardial and vascular actions of milrinone.

Milrinone exerts potent positive inotropic and direct vasodilator properties in vitro. Several studies have been undertaken to elucidate the relative contributions of each of these actions to the overall haemodynamic effect of milrinone in patients with congestive heart failure. Intracoronary infusion of milrinone to patients with congestive heart failure results in a dose-related increase in left ventricular filling pressure, +dP/dt, indicating a positive inotropic effect due to direct myocardial stimulation. Infusion of milrinone into the brachial artery increases forearm blood flow and decreases forearm vascular resistance, indicating a direct vasodilator action in patients with congestive heart failure. The relative contribution of milrinone's positive inotropic and vasodilator actions has been assessed by two approaches. First, the haemodynamic effects of nitroprusside and milrinone were compared at doses that caused equal reductions in arterial pressure. Under this condition, the improvement in left ventricular pump function caused by milrinone exceeded that caused by nitroprusside, suggesting that a significant portion of milrinone's overall effect could not be attributed merely to vasodilatation. Second, the haemodynamic effects of intracoronary and intravenous milrinone administration were compared in the same subjects. Under these conditions, the haemodynamic effect of intracoronary drug infusion accounted for a substantial portion of the improvement in left ventricular pump function. The conclusion from these studies, taken together, is that the overall haemodynamic effect of milrinone is due to significant contributions from both its positive inotropic and its vasodilator actions. Consequently, milrinone differs significantly from pure vasodilators, such as nitroprusside, and relatively pure positive inotropic agents, such as dobutamine.

Cardiotonic Agents

The effect of milrinone (Win 47203) on the in vitro electropharmacological properties of mammalian cardiac tissue.

The electropharmacological effects of milrinone (Win 47203), a new positive inotropic agent of the bipyridine class, were studied on dog and guinea pig cardiac muscle by means of microelectrode techniques. In dog Purkinje fibers perfused with a Krebs solution containing 4 mM K+, milrinone did not produce any changes in action potential configuration. However, rate of discharge from spontaneously active Purkinje fibers was increased by milrinone. In dog auricular and ventricular trabeculae, milrinone increased action potential amplitude, overshoot, and phase 2 of the action potential. The duration of the action potential and the effective refractory period were decreased. In guinea pig papillary muscle, the changes in the action potential produced by milrinone consisted of a slight increase in overshoot and a reduction in the duration of the action potential. Dog Purkinje fibers depolarized with 20 mM K+ did not respond to milrinone. When such depolarized Purkinje tissue was treated with norepinephrine, slow action potentials appeared, and these could be increased by milrinone. Depolarized dog trabeculae were quiescent and addition of milrinone produced a slow action potential; the amplitude, rate of depolarization, and duration of the slow action potentials were dependent on the milrinone concentration. In depolarized guinea pig papillary muscles, milrinone induced dose-dependent slow action potentials and contractions which could be reversed on washing. Preexisting slow action potentials induced by tetraethylammonium plus high [Ca]o were potentiated by milrinone in a dose-dependent manner.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Action Potentials