Egyptian Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology

Egyptian Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology
Vol. 2 (2012), Issue 2, pp. 13-22 
doi:10.11131/2012/101336

Isoprenaline-Induced Myocardial Infarction in Rats: Protective Effects of Hesperidin

Myocardial infarction is amongst the most common causes of death worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate the cardioprotective effect of hesperidin (200 mg/kg) either individually or in combination with atorvastatin (10 mg/kg), as a reference standard, in isoprenaline-induced myocardial infarction in rats. Markers chosen to assess cardiac damage included serum activity of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and serum level of cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I), oxidative stress biomarkers including cardiac contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO) as well as serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Furthermore, ECG monitoring and histologic examinations of cardiac tissues were done. Isoprenaline increased CK-MB activity as the well the levels of cTn-I, inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers. In addition, it produced ST segment elevation and degenerative changes in heart tissues. The obtained data revealed that pretreatment with hesperidin alone or in combination with atorvastatin significantly decreased the elevated activity of serum CK-MB as well as serum levels of cTn-I, CRP, TNF-α and IL-10 coupled by a reduction in cardiac lipid peroxides and NO content. Moreover, both treatments resulted in marked improvement in isoprenaline-induced ECG and histopathologic changes. In conclusion, hesperidin can be regarded as a promising cardioprotective natural agent in myocardial infarction when used alone or combined with atorvastatin.