Long-Term Regulation of Excitation–Contraction Coupling and Oxidative Stress in Cardiac Myocytes by Pirfenidone

Pirfenidone (PFD) is used to treat human pulmonary fibrosis. Its administration to animals with distinct forms of cardiovascular disease results in striking improvement in cardiac performance. Here, its functional impact on cardiac myocytes was investigated. Cells were kept 1-2 d under either control culture conditions or the presence of PFD (1 mM). Subsequently, they were subjected to electrical stimulation to assess the levels of contractility...