Dexfenfluramine does not worsen but moderates progression of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension

This study shows for the first time, that dexfenfluramine, a 5-HT2 receptor agonist, attenuates the development of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. Chronic exposure to hypoxia, 4 weeks, induced hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in adult rat as haemodynamic and cardiac measurements showed significant modifications in right ventricle parameters (free wall right ventricle thickness; pulmonary acceleration time and velocity time integral) in chronic hypoxic control when compared to normoxic control animals. We observed that free wall right ventricle thickness and pulmonary velocity time integral were significantly less in chronic hypoxic rats treated with dexfenfluramine when compared to chronic hypoxic control rats. Similarly, rats exposed to chronic hypoxia exhibited an increase in both right ventricle pressure and weight by comparison to normoxic control animals but those variations were significantly diminished in dexfenfluramine-treated rats, indicating the moderating influence exerted by dexfenfluramine on chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and cardiac alterations. Thus, we report here the ability of dexfenfluramine to limit chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension, emphasizing the importance of the time after the dexfenfluramine treatment discontinuation to assess the influence of this 5-HT receptor agonist on the development of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.