title: Cardioprotective effect of calcitriol on myocardial injury induced by isoproterenol in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Calcitriol (CAL), an active form of vitamin D, plays a vital role in controlling cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. The aim of the present study is to explore the effects of CAL and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms on myocardial injury induced by isoproterenol (ISO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Myocardial impairment was induced by the subcutaneous injection of ISO in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, and the therapeutic effect of CAL was assessed. Biometric and echocardiographic parameters, interstitial fibrosis, oxidant-antioxidant status, and protein expression relevant to the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway were then measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Calcitriol treatment improved the cardiac injury resulting from excessive ISO stimulation, as supported by the suppression of the development of myocardial hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and H2O2 level in heart tissue. The decreased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities induced by ISO were also improved by CAL. Finally, the administration of CAL downregulated the protein expression of Bax and caspase-9.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence that CAL ameliorated cardiac hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and oxidative stress in ISO-induced cardiac injury and might play a vital cardioprotective role in such injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, PR China.
authors.forename: Xinfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yanhe
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xinghui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yubai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shaoli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004452:Echocardiography; D004719:Endomyocardial Fibrosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D053453:Caspase 9; D002117:Calcitriol; D007545:Isoproterenol
keywords: isoproterenol; myocardium; vitamin D