Effect of molsidomine on trace metals in gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rats

This study was designed to determine the changes in trace metals after gentamicin renal injury. Rats receiving gentamicin [100 mg/kg/ day IM for 7 days] showed deterioration in renal function. Renal proximal tubular necrosis and an elevation in serum and renal cortical tissue of copper levels while the corresponding levels of zinc were depressed. The use of molsidomine can attenuate those changes in trace metals but failed to correct the deterioration in renal function or the histopathological changes. These results suggest that the alterations in trace metals seem not to be a good indicator of gentamicin nephrotoxicity

Myocardial protection: an approach with alterations in cations and trace elements in rats

This study was undertaken to investigate the cation and trace element changes in experimentally induced myocardial isehaemia like lesion evoked by isoprenaline. Rats were treated with 30 mg/kg S.C isoprenaline alone or in combination with the calcium entry blocker felodipine 1 mg/kg i.p or the free radical scavenger superoxide 15000 U/kg i.p. Our results showed that the isoprenaline-produced hypocupraernia and hypozincaemia, and the cardiac damage is accompanied by calcium overload, magnesium and zinc depletion, Felodipine and superoxide disinutase altered these changes in different manners. We conclude that manipulations of cardiac cations and trace elements can provide myocardial protections in experimental model of cardiac ischaemia induced by isoprenaline

Experimental dilating cardiomyopathy and verapamil therapy in the mice

The effects of verapamil, a calcium channel blocker were examined on the norepinephrine and tyramine induced changes in mice myocardium. Tyramine but not norepinephrine [5 mg/kg/day, s.c. for 5 days] caused significant increase in cardiac mass reflected by increase ratios of heart wet and dry weights to body weight. The histopathological changes seen by light microscopy include cell necrosis and fibrosis with hypertrophied nuclei. Simultaneous treatment of the animals with verapamil [1 mg/kg/day, s.c. for 5 days] attenuated the above mentioned changes that were induced by catecholamines. Based on the data obtained in this study, it is proposed that catecholamines induced changes in the myocardium may involve facilitation of calcium entry which induce cell necrosis and lead to the development of dilated cardiomyopathy and verapamil is capable to attenuate these changes