Backgound
Chronic treatment with sodium nitrite has been shown to be efficacious in preclinical models of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The present study was designed to test the acute hemodynamic effects and safety of inhaled nitrite in patients with PAH (treatment naïve or on background therapy). Details: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01431313 METHODS: Inhaled nitrite was delivered at incremental doses (45 and 90 mg) to WHO group I and WHO Group III PAH patients undergoing clinical right heart catheterization for the diagnosis or management of PAH. In addition to clinical measures of safety and treatment response, novel hemodynamic parameters of RV function were acquired by both micromanometry and echocardiography.