In this study, the hemodynamic and neurohumoral/
autonomic effects of intravenous
saterinone (a selective
phosphodiesterase type III inhibitor, with additional alpha 1-blocking properties) were evaluated. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 36 patients with moderate to severe
heart failure were studied (
saterinone, n = 24; placebo, n = 12). Invasive hemodynamic measurements, by using right-heart catheterization, were performed, as well as measurement of plasma
neurohormones and analysis of heart rate variability (HRV), to study
drug influences on neurohumoral activation and autonomic tone. Systemic vascular resistance significantly decreased during
saterinone infusion, accompanied by a decrease in systemic blood pressure (both p values < 0.05) and an increase in heart rate (p = 0.05). Filling pressures also decreased during
saterinone, but this was statistically significant only for pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, whereas the cardiac index remained unaffected. Plasma
neurohormones (
norepinephrine,
epinephrine, and
renin activity) were not significantly influenced by
saterinone. HRV analysis revealed no significant effect of
saterinone on autonomic tone. These results suggest that intravenous
saterinone has a significant vasodilating effect in patients with moderate to severe chronic
heart failure (CHF), without exerting an adverse effect on the autonomic nervous system, as demonstrated by assessment of plasma
neurohormones and HRV analysis.