Trimetazidine Alleviates Postresuscitation Myocardial Dysfunction and Improves 96‐Hour Survival in a Ventricular Fibrillation Rat Model

BACKGROUND: Myocardial dysfunction is a critical cause of post‐cardiac arrest hemodynamic instability and circulatory failure that may lead to early mortality after resuscitation. Trimetazidine is a metabolic agent that has been demonstrated to provide protective effects in myocardial ischemia. However, whether trimetazidine protects against postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated after 8 minutes of untreated ventricular fibrillation in Sprague‐Dawley rats. Animals were randomized to 4 groups immediately after resuscitation (n=15/group): (1) normothermia control (NTC); (2) targeted temperature management; (3) trimetazidine‐normothermia; (4) trimetazidine‐targeted temperature management. TMZ was administered at a single dose of 10 mg/kg in rats with trimetazidine. The body temperature was maintained at 34.0°C for 2 hours and then rewarmed to 37.5°C in rats with targeted temperature management. Postresuscitation hemodynamics, 96‐hours survival, and pathological analysis were assessed. Heart tissues and blood samples of additional rats (n=6/group) undergoing the same experimental procedure were collected to measure myocardial injury, inflammation and oxidative stress‐related biomarkers with ELISA‐based quantification assays. Compared with normothermia control, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and cardiac troponin‐I were significantly reduced, whereas the left ventricular ejection fraction and 96‐hours survival rates were significantly improved in the 3 experimental groups. Furthermore, inflammation and oxidative stress‐related biomarkers together with collagen volume fraction were significantly decreased in rats undergoing postresuscitation interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Trimetazidine significantly alleviates postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction and improves survival by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation in a ventricular fibrillation rat model. A single dose of trimetazidine administrated immediately after resuscitation can effectively improve cardiac function, whether used alone or combined with targeted temperature management.