Histamine-2 receptor antagonist famotidine modulates cardiac stem cell characteristics in hypertensive heart disease

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Background Cardiac stem cells (CSCs) play a vital role in cardiac homeostasis. A decrease in the efficiency of cardiac stem cells is speculated in various cardiac abnormalities. The maintenance of a healthy stem cell population is essential for the prevention of adverse cardiac remodeling leading to cardiac failure. Famotidine, a histamine-2 receptor antagonist, is currently used to treat ulcers of the stomach and intestines. In repurposing the use of the drug, reduction of cardiac hypertrophy and improvement in cardiac function of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was reported by our group. Given that stem cells are affected in cardiac pathologies, the effect of histamine-2 receptor antagonism on CSC characteristics was investigated. Methods To examine whether famotidine has a positive effect on CSCs, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) treated with the drug were sacrificed; and CSCs isolated from atrial appendages was evaluated. Six-month-old male SHRs were treated with famotidine (30 mg/kg/day) for two months. The effect of famotidine treatment on migration, proliferation and survival of CSCs was compared with untreated SHRs and normotensive Wistar rats. Results Functional efficiency of CSCs from SHR was compromised relative to that in Wistar rat. Famotidine increased the migration and proliferation potential, along with retention of stemness of CSCs in treated SHRs. C

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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