Chronic Interval Exercise Training Prevents BKCa-channel Mediated Coronary Vascular Dysfunction in Aortic-Banded Mini-Swine

Conventional treatments have failed to improve the prognosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the therapeutic efficacy of chronic interval exercise training (IT) on BKCa channel-mediated coronary vascular function in heart failure. We hypothesized chronic interval exercise training would attenuate pressure overload-induced impairments to coronary BKCa channel-mediated function. A translational large animal model with cardiac features of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction was used to test this hypothesis. Specifically, male Yucatan mini-swine were divided into 3 groups (N=7/group): control (CON), aortic-banded (AB)-Heart Failure (HF), and AB interval trained (HF-IT). Coronary blood flow, vascular conductance, and vasodilatory capacity were measured after administration of the BKCa channel agonist NS-1619 both in vivo and in vitro in the left anterior descending coronary artery and isolated coronary arterioles, r...