Ameliorative effects of cerebrolysin against isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury in male rats

Abstract

Aims: Myocardial injury (MI) is the principal cause of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD). The present study was conducted to investigate the ameliorative and antioxidant effects of cerebrolysin (CBL) on isoproterenol-induced MI in rats.

Methods: MI was induced in the rats by subcutaneously injecting 100 mg/kg of isoproterenol (ISO) in the first two days. The serum levels of creatine phosphokinase (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured on the third day to confirm MI. The post-treatment involved intraperitoneally injecting 5 ml/kg of CBL for 7 days. Nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) in the heart tissue and catalase (CAT) and serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were measured on the 10th day using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Histopathological examinations of the heart tissue were also performed.

Findings: The present results suggested significant increases in CK-MB, cTnI, MDA and NO. A significant decrease was also observed in the ISO-treated rats in certain antioxidant enzymes, including CAT and GPX. CBL administration showed a significant ameliorative increase against the oxidative ISO-induced damage. Moreover, the histopathological findings showed lower levels of the infiltration of inflammatory cells and edema and vascular proliferation in the CBL-treated rats.

Significance: The present histopathological and biochemical findings attributed antioxidant properties to CBL in the rat myocardium and suggested protective effects on ISO-induced MI.

Keywords: Cardiac markers; Cerebrolysin; Isoproterenol; Malondialdehyde; Myocardial injury; Nitric oxide.