Abstract

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the cardioprotective potential of tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) and rutin in an in vivo rat ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) model of myocardial infarction (MI). Male wistar rats were divided into six groups receiving saline (control MI/R group), vehicle control MI/R group, THC (5 mg kg(-1) and 10 mg kg(-1)) and rutin (5 mg kg(-1) and 10 mg kg(-1)) i.p. injection respectively. At the day of the experiment, each group was subjected to acute ischemia for 30 min by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Thereafter reperfusion was allowed for 4 h. MI/R resulted in significant cardiac necrosis, elevation in lipid peroxidation, elevation in cardiac marker enzymes AST, ALT and decline in antioxidant status catalase, reduced glutathione in the normal control MI/R group and vehicle control MI/R group. Myocardial infarction produced after MI/R was significantly reduced in tetrahydrocurcumin and rutin of the myocardial antioxidant status, infarct size reduction compared to control and vehicle control MI/R group. Furthermore, MI/R induced lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced by tetrahydrocurcumin and rutin. Cardioprotection in the treatment group was probably a result from suppression of oxidative stress. Histopathological examination further confirmed the protective effect of tetrahydrocurcumin and rutin on the MI/R heart.