ABSTRACT
Several studies have reported improved response of exercised hearts to myocardial infarction [MI] This study was aimed to evaluate the preventive role of treadmill exercise and diosgenin on cardiac marker enzymes, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TEARS], total antioxidant status [TAS], lipids, and electrocardiographic [ECG] patterns in isoproterenol [ISO]-induced myocardial infarction [MI] in male Wistar rats. One hundred Wistar rats were divided into ten groups: Control rats [C], saline [S], L-cremephor [LC] exercise [E], diosgenin dissolved in L-cremephor [15 nig/kg/day] [D], exereise+ diosgenin [E+D], ISO injected [150 mg/kg] [ISO], exercise + ISO [E+ISO], diosgenin + ISO [D+ISO] and exercise diosgenin + ISO [E+D+ISO] At the end of the experiment all animals anesthetized and blood samples were collected for biochemical estimation and also the ECG patterns were recorded. Exercise and diosgenin pretreatment significantly decreased the lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] and TEARS level in ISO injected animals. Exercise and diosgenin pretreatment significantly decreased serum total cholesterol and increased high density lipoprotein [HDL-C]. ISO-treated rats showed pathological Q waves along with elevated ST segments. The altered electrocardiograms [ECG] of ISO-treated rats were also restored to near normal by diosgenin and exercise, but exercise and diosgenin had synergistic effects. The present investigation demonstrates that combination of diosgenin and exercise exhibited significant protection against ISO induced electrocardiographical and biochemical changes. The cadioprotective mechanism [s] appear to be through changing lipid metabolism
ABSTRACT
In addition to antihypertensive effects, amlodipine may exhibit cardiovascular protective effects in heart tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of amlodipine and/or high cholesterol diet on blood, heart tissue concentration and mRNA expression of endothelin-1 [ET-1] in male New Zealand white rabbits. A total of 40 male New Zealand rabbits were divided into four groups: the normal control groups, normal group receiving amlodipine, high-cholesterol diet group and high-cholesterol diet with amlodipine group. After 8 weeks, all the animals anesthetized and blood or tissues samples were collected. After 8 weeks of a high cholesterol diet, the group with such a diet had a significantly higher ratio of left ventricle [LV] weight to body weight than the control group [P = 0.0001]. After treatment with amlodipine for 8 weeks, ET-1 level was reduced considerably in comparison with the control [P= 0.01] and high-cholesterol diet groups [P= 0.01]. Amlodipine consumption caused significant reduction [P=0.01] in the level of ET-1 in heart tissues of high-cholesterol diet group but it had no remarkable effect on the reduction of heart tissue ET-1 in amlodipine group compared with the control group. The present study demonstrates that ventricular prepro-ET-1 mRNA quantitatively increases in the high-cholesterol diet rabbits which results in development of ventricular hypertrophy. It seems that the treatment with amlodipine retards the progression of LV hypertrophy through attenuation of ET-1 levels independent of lipid changes
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of regular exercise in preventing diabetes complication in the hippocampus of streptozotocin [STZ]-induced diabetic rat. A total of 48 male wistar rats were divided into four groups [control, control exercise, diabetic and diabetic exercise]. Diabetes was induced by injection of single dose of STZ. Exercise was performed for one hr every day, over a period of 8 weeks. The antioxidant enzymes [SOD, GPX, CAT and GR] and oxidant indexes with brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF] protein and its mRNA and apoptosis were measured in hippocampus of rats. A significant decrease in antioxidant enzymes activities and increased malondialdehyde [MDA] level were observed in diabetic rats [P=0.004]. In response to exercise, antioxidant enzymes activities increased [P=0.004]. In contrast, MDA level decreased in diabetic rats [P=0.004]. Induction of diabetes caused an increase of BDNF protein and its mRNA expression. In response to exercise, BDNF protein and its mRNA expression reduced in hippocampus of diabetic rats. Diabetes induced oxidative stress and increased BDNF gene expression. Exercise ameliorated oxidative stress and decreased BDNF gene expression
Subject(s)
Male , Animals, Laboratory , Hippocampus , Diabetes Complications/prevention & control , Streptozocin , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental , Diabetes Mellitus , Oxidative Stress , Antioxidants , Exercise , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
To evaluate the effect of regular swimming exercise on plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-alpha, interleukin [IL]-1beta and of IL-6 cytokines in healthy and diabetic rats. In this study, carried out from March 2008 to March 2009 in the Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz, Iran, 40 Wistar rats [250-300g] were randomly divided into 4 groups [n=10]: control-sedentary, control-exercised, diabetic-sedentary, and diabetic-exercised. Diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin [50mg/kg, intraperitoneally]. The exercise protocol consisted of swimming [one hour/day, and 5 days/week] for 8 weeks. The plasma cytokines were measured by using specific kits and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The findings of this study showed that the mean difference of IL-6 was significant among the groups, and that regular swimming increased the plasma levels of IL-6 to 9-times in healthy rats and to 23-times in diabetic ones [p=0.000, F [3.31]=54.79]. However, there were no significant differences in IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels among the groups. According to findings of this study, regular exercise causes an increase in plasma levels of IL-6, and this enhancement is much higher in diabetics rather than healthy rats. Thus, by increasing direct absorption of blood glucose by skeletal muscle, IL-6 can have a beneficial role in continuing the activities of diabetic patients