Data from: Early treatment with pyridostigmine alleviates heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in rats
Data files
Feb 18, 2026 version files 38.29 KB
Abstract
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors constitute a large and chemically diverse group of compounds that inhibit the enzyme AChE. Some of these compounds that are used to treat Alzheimer’s disease have been reported to have favourable cardiovascular effects, i.e., a 35% reduction of the risk for cardiovascular disease. There has been a growing interest in AchE inhibitors as a potential therapeutic approach for cardiovascular diseases, especially heart failure (HF), since they correct the autonomic imbalance, a key component in the development of heart failure. In the present study, HF was induced in male Wistar albino rats using an isoprenaline model (85 mg/kg/day s.c. for 2 days, followed by 3 weeks of HF development) of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Afterwards, rats were treated with pyridostigmine (20 mg/kg/day in tap water for 14 days), while the controls received no treatment. Electrocardiographic and echosonographic measurements were obtained, and samples were taken for antioxidative status measurement and histopathological analysis. Administration of pyridostigmine resulted in preservation of cardiac contractile function (↑ EF), coupled with a decrease in chamber wall thinning (↑ PWDd, ↑ PWDs) and dilatation progression (↓ LVIDd, ↓ LVIDs). Additionally, histopathological findings showed significantly reduced tissue damage score and attenuation of cardiac fibrosis development, indicating the cardioprotective potential of pyridostigmine when used as treatment for the early stages of heart failure; however, further investigations are needed to fully investigate the interplay between the several proposed mechanisms through which AChE inhibitors express their protective effects.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.wpzgmsc3g
Description of the data and file structure
The data were collected in order to investigate the potential cardioprotective effects of a peripheral AChE inhibitor, pyridostigmine, administered in the early stages of the isoprenaline-induced heart failure in rats.
Male Wistar albino rats (n = 24) weighing 310 ± 50 g were used in this experiment. Animals were randomized into four groups. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) was induced in animals in the isoprenaline group (I; n = 6) and isoprenaline + pyridostigmine group (I+P; n = 6) by administering 85 mg/kg/day of isoprenaline (ISO), s.c., on two consecutive days, while animals in the control group (C; n = 6) and the pyridostigmine group (P, n = 6) received an equivalent amount of normal saline, s.c. Animals were then followed for the next 3 weeks, after which echocardiographic (ECHO) measurements were obtained to confirm the development of HFpEF in the isoprenaline-treated groups. For the next 14 days, rats in the P and I+P groups received 20 mg/kg/day of pyridostigmine dissolved in drinking water (0.14 mg/mL), while rats in the C and I groups remained untreated. At the end of the experiment, after obtaining electrocardiographic (ECG) and ECHO measurements for all groups, the animals were anesthetized using a combination of 90 mg/kg ketamine and 10 mg/kg xylazine and then sacrificed by exsanguination. The tissue and blood samples were collected.
Files and variables
File: Early_treatment_with_pyridostigmine_alleviates_HFpEF_in_rats_raw_data.xlsx (or) Early_treatment_with_pyridostigmine_alleviates_HFpEF_in_rats_raw_data.csv
Description:
Both XLSX and CSV files are provided. The rows are assigned to individual animals, and grouped in experimental groups, while the columns contain the measured parameters (i.e., body mass, ECHO...). STDEV and average are provided for each group/parameter. Units of measurement are listed next to the measured parameters.
Blank cells mark missing data from animals that have not survived to the end of the experiment.
Abbreviations
- HW/BW ratio - Heart weight to body weight ratio (mg/g)
- TBARS- Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (µmol/L):
- NO2-: Nitrite (µmol/L)
- SOD-Superoxide Dismutase (U/g tissue)
- GSH: Glutathione (nmol/g tissue)
- CAT: Catalase (U/g tissue)
- IVSd (cm)
- IVSd—interventricular septum thickness end diastole (cm)
- IVSs—interventricular septum thickness end systole (cm)
- LVIDd—left ventricle internal diameter end diastole (cm)
- LVIDs—left ventricle internal diameter end systole (cm)
- PWDd—posterior wall diameter end diastole (cm)
- PWDs—posterior wall diameter end systole (cm)
- EDV—end-diastolic volume (mL)
- ESV—end-systolic volume (mL)
- SV—stroke volume (mL)
- EF—ejection fraction (%)
- HR—heart rate
- bpm - beats per minute
- PQ/PR—PQ/PR interval (msec)
- QT/RT—QT/RT interval (msec)
- QRS—QRS peak-to-peak voltage amplitude (mV)
Code/software
Microsoft Office software. Any program that will open a spreadsheet, such as Excel is recommended.