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©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Cardiol. Dec 26, 2014; 6(12): 1252-1261
Published online Dec 26, 2014. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v6.i12.1252
Published online Dec 26, 2014. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v6.i12.1252
Arginine vasopressin as a target in the treatment of acute heart failure
Nisha A Gilotra, Stuart D Russell, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
Author contributions: Gilotra NA and Russell SD contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence to: Stuart D Russell, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Chief, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1800 Orleans Street, Sheikh Zayed Tower, Suite 7125, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States. srusse14@jhmi.edu
Telephone: +1-410-9555708 Fax: +1-410-9553478
Received: September 3, 2014
Revised: October 2, 2014
Accepted: October 23, 2014
Published online: December 26, 2014
Revised: October 2, 2014
Accepted: October 23, 2014
Published online: December 26, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Beneficial therapies in the setting of acute decompensated heart failure are limited. When bound to the V1a and/or V2 receptors, vasopressin, which is upregulated in heart failure, causes vasoconstriction, left ventricular remodeling and free water reabsorption. Over recent years, vasopressin antagonists such as conivaptan and tolvaptan have been investigated and approved for use in the appropriate setting. We review the evidence and implications behind use of vaptans in the setting of heart failure.