SUMMARY
Atherosclerosis has been an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in recent years.
N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) ,a sulfur containing amino acid, is an N-acetyl derivative of L-cysteine Previous studies have shown that it exhibits antioxidant, antiangiogenic, and anticancer activities . NAC also acts as a cysteine donor and maintains the intracellular levels of glutathione . It has been demonstrated that NAC is able to inhibit oxidative stress and DNA damage . Since increased free radical production has been implicated in the development of MI, we undertook the present study to evaluate the protective effects of NAC on cardiac marker enzymes, ECG, and histopathology of myocardium.
.This study was carried out in order to investigate the role of NAC in the protection against isoprenaline induced myocardial injury as an antioxidant.
This study was carried on 4 main groups of adult male albino rats. The first of them is the control group received no medications. The 2nd group received NAC at a dose of 10gm/kgm/day orally for 2 weeks .The 3rd group injected with isoprenaline in a dose of 100mg/kgm SC for 2 days for induction of ischemia. The 4th group received NAC at a dose of 10gm/kgm/day orally for 2 weeks before isoprenaline injection SC for 2 days .
The parameters used to evaluate myocardial infarction were serum CK-MB, serum LDH , T-wave voltage, and histopathology study.
These parameters were estimated in the 17th day.
The obtained results of this study could be summarized as follow:
• Isoprenaline injection resulted in myocardial infarction manifested by significant increase in CK-MB,LDH, T-wave voltage, and an infarction detected pathologically by muscle degeneration ,odemea , and inflammatory cells infiltration as compared with the control group.
• NAC intake in its dose 10mg/kgm/day before isoprenaline injection significantly decreases CK-MB,LDH , and T-wave voltage when compared with isoprenaline injected group.
• Also, when NAC by its dose 10mg/kgm/day was taken before isoprenaline injection, there was significant decrease in inflammatory cells infiltration, muscle degeneration, and decrease in intersteitial odemea.
From the above results we conclude that dietary NAC is protective against atherosclerotic vascular disease.
• Finally, this study also revealed that NAC up to the concentration of 10 mg/kg was nontoxic. Thus, NAC (10 mg/kg) was safe for myocardial infarcted patients.
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