Nicorandil Decreases Renal Injury in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease Complicated With Type I Cardiorenal Syndrome

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a group of disorders in which heart or kidney dysfunction worsens each other. This study aimed to explore the improvement effect of nicorandil on cardiorenal injury in patients with type I CRS. Patients with coronary heart disease complicated with type I CRS were enrolled. Based on the conventional treatment, the patients were prospectively randomized into a conventional treatment group and a nicorandil group, which was treated with 24 mg/d nicorandil intravenously for 1 week. Fasting peripheral venous blood serum and urine were collected before and at the end of treatment. An automatic biochemical analyzer and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect B-type brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), serum creatinine (Scr) and cystatin C (Cys-C), renal injury index–kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin (NGAL), and interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels. The left ventricular ejection fraction was measured by echocardiography. All measurements were not significantly different between the nicorandil and conventional treatment groups before treatment (all P > 0.05), and BNP, Scr, Cys-C, NGAL, KIM-1, and IL-18 were decreased in the 2 groups at the end of treatment (all P < 0.05). Compared with the conventional treatment group, BNP, Scr, Cys-C, NGAL, KIM-1, and IL-18 were more significantly decreased in the nicorandil group (all P < 0.05) and left ventricular ejection fraction was more significantly increased (P < 0.05). Therefore, nicorandil could significantly improve the cardiac and renal function of patients with type I CRS. This may prove to be a new therapeutic tool for improving the prognosis and rehabilitation of type I CRS.