title: Ellagic acid improved arrhythmias induced by CaCL2 in the rat stress model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In ventricular arrhythmias, due to their free radical scavenging action, antioxidant agents are usually used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Since stress is considered as risk factor for increased mortality by causing malignant arrhythmias, the study was designed to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of ellagic acid (EA) on CaCl2-induced arrhythmias in rat stress model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) were divided into four groups: Group I: Control rats (2 ml of saline by gavage), Group II: Rats treated with EA (15 mg/kg, gavage), Group III: stress group, Group IV: received EA plus stress. Stress was applied in a restrainer box (6 hour/day, 21 days). After induction of anesthesia, lead II electrocardiogram was recorded for calculating heart rate and QRS complex. The arrhythmia was produced by injection of CaCl2 solution (140 mg/kg, iv) and incidences of Ventricular fibrillation, Ventricular premature beats and Ventricular tachycardia were recorded. Results were analyzed by using one-way ANOVA and Fisher`s exact test. p<0.05 was considered as significant level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed a positive inotropic effect and negative chronotropic effect for the EA group in comparison with the control group. Incidence rates (%) of premature beats, ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in stress group and all the arrhythmia parameters decreased in groups which received EA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By decreasing the incidence rates of premature beats, fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in groups which received EA, ellagic acid probably acted as an anti-arrhythmic agent which showed to have aprotective functionin heart.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dianat
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Negin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Amini
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Badavi
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Yaghoub
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Farbood
keywords: Arrhythmia; Chronotropic; Ellagic acid; Inotropic; Rat; Stress