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