Résumé
The present study was designed to evaluate the cardioprotective potential of aqueous Embelia ribes Burm extract on left anterior descending coronary artery ligation [LAD]-induced myocardial infarction in albino rats. Vehicle [1% Tween 80 in distilled water] or aqueous E. ribes extract [100 and 200 mg/kg] was administered for 7 days [pre-treatment]. In the vehicle-treated group, ischemic-reperfusion injury [IRI] was evidenced by depression of haemodynamic function [heart rate], raised levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] and myocardial thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS] levels and depletion of myocardial endogenous antioxidants [glutathione [GSH], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], glutathione reductase [GR] and glutathione-S-transferase [GST]] and Na-K-ATPase levels, as compared to sham rats. Pre-treatment with aqueous E. ribes extract resulted in restoration of the altered hemodynamic parameters, myocardial antioxidant status and Na-K-ATPase activity as compared to ischemia reperfusion [IR] group. Further, IR-induced increased LDH and TBARS levels were significantly decreased by E. ribes extract treatment. The beneficial cardioprotective effects also translated into functional recovery of the heart. Cardioprotective effect of aqueous E. ribes extract likely results from the suppression of oxidative stress and correlates with the improved hemodynamic function and decreased Na-K-ATPase activity