Background:
Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. Cell death such as apoptosis plays a critical role in cardiac pathogenesis.
AIM: This study was designed to assess the issue of cardiomyocyte apoptosis as a possible cause of diabetic cardiomyopathy and whether it would be possible to suppress this apoptosis by the use of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) as an antioxidant and Losartan as an Angiotensin II receptor blocker.
METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into five groups 10 animals each: Group 1, healthy control rats;Group 2,diabetic group that were made diabetic with a single injection of streptozotocin(STZ); Group3, diabetic ratstreated with losartan ; Group4, diabetic rats treated with ALAGroup 5, diabetic ratstreated with losartanand ALA .At the end of the experimental period, plasma glucose was measured. The heart rate and mean systemic arterial blood pressure (MSBP) were measured in all groups. Oxidative stress as assessed by malonaldialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH-PX) concentrations as well as caspase-3 activity as an index of apoptosis were determined in cardiac tissue. In addition Cardiac apoptosis was measured by BCL-x immunohistochemistry technique.
RESULTS:Administration of ALAand Losartan caused significant decreased in apoptosis, in addition there was significant decrease in MDA,caspase-3 and increase in GSH in cardiac tissue homogenate, and with significant decrease in the serum lipid level and mean systemic arterial blood pressure were significantly decreased while heart rate increased to normal level.
CONCLUSION: alpha lipoic acid and Losartan have a protective effect on diabetic induced cardiomyopathy in rats.
Abbreviations:Glutathione (GSH-PX) -Streptozotocin(STZ)-Mean systemic arterial blood pressure (MSBP)-Malondialdehyde (MDA)-ALA(alpha lipoic |
