title: Effects of beta-carotene and smoking on heart remodeling after myocardial infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the effects of beta-carotene on the ventricular remodeling process following myocardial infarction (MI) in rats exposed to cigarette smoke.
  
  
  METHODS
  After acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the animals were divided into four groups: 1) Group C, 24 animals that were given standard diet; 2) Group BC, 26 animals that were given beta-carotene; 3) Group ECS, 26 animals that were given standard diet and were exposed to cigarette smoke; and 4) Group BC+ECS, 20 animals that were given beta-carotene and were exposed to cigarette smoke. After six months, a morphofunctional study was performed. We used a 5% significance level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As regards diastolic areas (DA) and systolic areas (SA), the values for the BC group were higher than those for the C group. If DA/body weight (BW) and SA/BW are considered, the values for group BC+ECS were higher than the values for group C. As regards the fractional area change, we observed significant differences between ECS (lower values) and C (higher values) and between BC (lower values) and C (higher values). Differences between groups regarding infarction size were not observed. The ECS group presented higher values for myocyte cross-section area (MCA) than control animals. Additionally, the BC+ECS group presented higher MCA values than the BC, ECS and C groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After myocardial infarction, smoking and beta-carotene intensified the heart remodeling process; harmful effects of the remodeling process were heightened when the two treatments were used in conjunction.
authors: Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual de São Paulo, Botucatu, SP, Brasil. lzornoff@fmb.unesp.br
authors: Leonardo A M
authors: LA
authors: Zornoff
authors: Daniella R
authors: DR
authors: Duarte
authors: Marcos F
authors: MF
authors: Minicucci
authors: Paula S
authors: PS
authors: Azevedo
authors: Beatriz B
authors: BB
authors: Matsubara
authors: Luiz S
authors: LS
authors: Matsubara
authors: Alvaro O
authors: AO
authors: Campana
authors: Sergio A R
authors: SA
authors: Paiva
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004452:Echocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D019207:beta Carotene