title: The Possible Role of Nitric Oxide and Oxidative Stress in the Enhanced Apoptosis of Cardiac Cells in Cirrhotic Rats.
abstract: Cirrhosis has been related with hyperdynamic circulation, manifesting as increased cardiac output and decreased systemic vascular resistance. In the present study we examined the cirrhosis outcome on apoptosis of rat hearts. We also tried to explore the role of nitric oxide (NO) and oxidative stress in the probable changed apoptosis of cirrhotic hearts. Twenty eight days after ligation of bile duct, heart tissues were tested for apoptosis. The extent of malondialdehyde (MDA), and the activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) have been calculated in heart tissues. The cirrhotic hearts exhibited structural defects and greater apoptosis. Chronic treatment of cirrhotic rats with L-NAME, a non-selective inhibitor of NO synthase, inhibited heart structural defects and reduced apoptosis of hearts. We also showed that cirrhotic rat hearts had an enhanced level of MDA and reduced activities of CAT, GSHPx and SOD. When the animals were treated by L-NAME chronically, the MDA level reduced and activities of CAT, GSHPx and SOD augmented in cirrhotic heart. In conclusion, increased apoptosis of cirrhotic hearts probably happen due to NO overproduction and increased oxidative stress in hearts of cirrhotic rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamed
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shafaroodi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Tehran Medical Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Tehran Medical Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra Nadia
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Sharif
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. AND Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moezi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. AND The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.
authors.forename: Zeinab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Janahmadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dehpour
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase
keywords: Apoptosis; Cirrhosis; Heart; Nitric oxide; Oxidative stress