Therapeutic effect of low-dose imatinib on pulmonary arterial hypertension in dogs.

This was a pilot study to determine the effectiveness of low-dose imatinib therapy for hemodynamic disturbances, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and clinical manifestations caused by chronic heart failure in dogs. Six client-owned dogs with PAH were administered imatinib mesylate orally, 3 mg/kg body weight q24h, for 30 d. Physical examination, blood biochemical tests, radiography, and Doppler echocardiography were performed prior to imatinib administration and again 30 days after administration. Clinical scores were significantly reduced after imatinib treatment. Systolic pulmonary arterial pressure, heart rate, maximum tricuspid regurgitation velocity, left atrium/aorta ratio, right and left ventricular Tei indexes, early diastolic transmitral flow wave/mitral annulus velocity ratio, and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentration decreased significantly after therapy. Diastolic blood pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output, and left ventricular fractional shortening increased significantly after therapy. These results indicate that low-dose imatinib therapy was effective for heart failure in dogs with PAH.