Semaglutide Augments Vascular Proliferation and Cardiac Performance in a Large Animal Model of Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.
Publication/Presentation Date
1-19-2026
Abstract
The search for effective adjuncts to procedural revascularization for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) has revealed, after several successful outcomes trials, the substantial potential of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogs such as semaglutide. Because this potential has not been mechanistically illuminated in the setting of CAD and metabolic syndrome, we employed a large animal model to evaluate the cardiac consequences of GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonism. 16 Yorkshire swine, after provision of a high-fat diet for 5 weeks induce metabolic syndrome, underwent ameroid constrictor-mediated induction of focal CAD. Animals were then either randomized to receive semaglutide (SEM, n=8, 4 male, 4 female), or no drug (CON, n=8, 4 male, 4 female) for 5 weeks, followed by a terminal sternotomy for left ventricular pressure-volume catheterization, coronary collateral characterization, and myocardial resection and sectioning. Coronary arterioles from the peri-ischemic myocardium were mounted and suffused to assess vasoactivity, and molecular changes within the most ischemic territory were assayed using immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, and proteomics. Treated animals exhibited enhanced left ventricular filling, end diastolic volume, stroke volume, and cardiac index (all p< 0.05); increased arteriolar density (p< 0.001); improved microvascular endothelium-dependent vasodilation (p< 0.01); and, as indicated by increases in fibroblast growth factor, angiostatin, endostatin, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (all p< 0.01), augmented vascular remodeling and endothelial function. In a large animal model that recapitulates the clinical comorbidities of CAD, improved left ventricular arteriolar density, vascular reactivity, and performance throughout the cardiac cycle position semaglutide as a highly promising addition to the adjunctive armamentarium against CAD.
ISSN
1522-1539
Published In/Presented At
Muir, K. C., Stone, C. R., Harris, D. D., Kanuparthy, M., Broadwin, M., Hamze, J., Feng, J., & Sellke, F. W. (2026). Semaglutide Augments Vascular Proliferation and Cardiac Performance in a Large Animal Model of Ischemic Cardiomyopathy. American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, 10.1152/ajpheart.00828.2025. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00828.2025
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
41553720
Department(s)
Fellows and Residents
Document Type
Article