title: Effect of ursolic acid treatment on apoptosis and DNA damage in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction.
abstract: The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of ursolic acid (UA) against isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction. Myocardial infarction was induced by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol hydrochloride (ISO) (85 mg/kg BW), for two consecutive days. ISO-induced rats showed elevated levels of cardiac troponins T (cTn T) and I (cTn I) and increased activity of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) in serum. Lipid peroxidative markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), conjugated dienes (CD) and lipid hydroperoxides (HP)) elevated in the plasma and heart tissue whereas decreased activities of enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR)) in erythrocytes and heart tissue of ISO-induced rats. Non-enzymatic antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E and reduced glutathione (GSH)) levels were decreased significantly in the plasma and heart tissue of ISO-induced rats. Furthermore, ISO-induced rats showed increased DNA fragmentation, upregulations of myocardial pro-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2 associated-x (Bax), caspase-3, -8 and -9, cytochrome c, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Fas and down-regulated expressions of anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL). UA-administered rats showed decreased levels/activity of cardiac markers, DNA fragmentation and the levels of lipid peroxidative markers in the plasma and heart tissue. Activities of enzymatic antioxidants were increased significantly in the erythrocytes and heart tissue and also non-enzymatic antioxidants levels were increased significantly in the plasma and heart tissue in UA-administered rats. UA influenced decreased DNA fragmentation and an apoptosis by upregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and down-regulation of Bax, caspase-3, -8 and -9, cytochrome c, TNF-α, Fas through mitochondrial pathway. Histopathological observations were also found in line with biochemical parameters. Thus, results of the present study demonstrated that the UA has anti-apoptotic properties in ISO-induced rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar 608 002, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: Thangaiyan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Radhiga
authors.forename: Chellam
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rajamanickam
authors.forename: Arjunan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sundaresan
authors.forename: Muthukrishnan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ezhumalai
authors.forename: Kodukkur Viswanathan
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Pugalendi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000097245:Ursolic Acid
chemical_list: D007545:Isoproterenol; D014315:Triterpenes; D000097245:Ursolic Acid