Background: We examined whether intracoronary or intrafemoral administration of ranolazine produces local vasodilation.
Methods and results: Effects of intra-arterial ranolazine on coronary and femoral artery vasodilation and systemic hemodynamic function were studied in anesthetized pigs (n=27). Ranolazine, nitroglycerin, or saline (control) was injected into the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery or femoral artery (2-mL bolus in 10 seconds). Pretreatment with prazosin (300 μg/kg IV) allowed determination of α(1)-adrenergic receptor involvement (n=8). Rapid intracoronary administration of ranolazine (0.048 mg/kg) to achieve high local concentrations resulted in 91±11% increase in LAD coronary artery flow and 39±7% reduction in coronary vascular resistance (both, P<0.0001). This effect lasted 2-3 minutes without change in heart rate or rate-pressure product. Mean arterial pressure decreased marginally (by 2±1 mm Hg, P=0.01). Maximum systemic plasma concentration (0.93±0.29 μmol/L) remained in subtherapeutic range. Pretreatment with prazosin abolished these effects. Intracoronary nitroglycerin (100 μg) increased LAD coronary artery flow by 112±25% (P=0.02), but the effect lasted <2 minutes; mean arterial pressure decreased by 4±1 mm Hg (P=0.01). Intrafemoral injection of ranolazine (0.24 mg/kg, ie, one-tenth of the systemic bolus) resulted in a 70±19% increase in femoral artery flow (P=0.05) and 26±5% reduction in femoral artery resistance (P=0.004). At 2 minutes after the injection, the femoral flow remained 16±9% above the baseline and dilatory effects occurred without tolerance to repeated injections.
Conclusions: Intracoronary or intrafemoral ranolazine bolus exerts a marked, 2- to 3-minute dilatory effect that is comparable to nitroglycerin in magnitude but more persistent, attributable primarily to α(1)-adrenergic blockade.