Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The persistent existence of pathological cardiac remodeling, resulting from aortic stenosis, is related to poor clinical prognosis after successful transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val), comprising an angiotensin receptor blocker and a neprilysin inhibitor, has been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect against pathological cardiac remodeling, including cardiac fibrosis and inflammation in heart failure. The aim of this study was to determine whether Sac/Val exerts a cardioprotective effect after pressure unloading in mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Male C57BL/6 J mice were subjected to debanding (DB) surgery after 8 weeks (wk) of aortic banding (AB). Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography, which indicated a protective effect of Sac/Val after DB. After treatment with Sac/Val post DB, decreased heart weight and myocardial cell size were observed in mouse hearts. In addition, histological analysis, immunofluorescence, and western blot results showed that Sac/Val attenuated cardiac fibrosis and inflammation after DB. Finally, our data indicated that Sac/Val treatment could significantly suppress NF-κB signaling and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mice after relief of pressure overload. CONCLUSION: Sac/Val exerted its beneficial effects to prevent maladaptive cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction in mice following pressure unloading, which was at least partly due to the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.