title: The effects of erdosteine, N-acetylcysteine and vitamin E on nicotine-induced apoptosis of cardiac cells.
abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the frequency of apoptosis in rat cardiomyocytes after intratraperitoneal nicotine injection, in order to examine the roles of inflammatory markers [myeloperoxidase (MPO) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)] in nicotine-induced cardiac damage and to determine the protective effects of three known antioxidant agents (N-acetylcysteine (NAC), erdosteine and vitamin E) on nicotine toxicity in the heart. Female Wistar rats were divided into seven groups, each composed of nine rats: two negative control groups, two positive control groups, one erdosteine-treated group (500 mg kg(-1)), one NAC-treated group (500 mg kg(-1)) and one vitamin E-treated group (500 mg kg(-1)). Nicotine was intraperitoneally injected at a dosage of 0.6 mg kg(-1) for 21 days. Following nicotine injection, the antioxidants were administered orally; treatment was continued until the rats were killed. Heart tissue samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin for histopathological assessments. Apoptosis level in cardiomyocytes was determined by using TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick endlabelling) method. Staining of cytoplasmic TNF-alpha in cardiomyocytes and heart MPO activity were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The treatments with erdosteine, NAC and vitamin E significantly reduced the rate of nicotine-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The effect of vitamin E on apoptosis regulation was weaker than the effects of erdosteine and NAC. Erdosteine, NAC and vitamin E significantly reduced the increases in the local production of TNF-alpha and heart MPO activity. This findings suggest that the effects of erdosteine and NAC on apoptosis regulation are stronger than that of vitamin E.
authors.affiliation: Süleyman Demirel University, School of Medicine, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Isparta, Turkey. rezan@sdu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Rezan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Demiralay
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gürsan
authors.forename: Havva
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Erdem
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007120:Immunochemistry / Q000379:methods; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013864:Thioglycolates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D013864:Thioglycolates; D013876:Thiophenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014810:Vitamin E; D009538:Nicotine; C048498:erdosteine; D009195:Peroxidase; D000111:Acetylcysteine