Preventive effects of oleuropein against cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction in Wistar rat through inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme activity.

OBJECTIVE

Myocardial infarction remains the major cause of global death due to cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to assess the protective role of oleuropein in attenuating the cardiac remodeling in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats.

RESULTS

Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups, control, isoproterenol (Isop) and pretreated animals with oleuropein at two different doses (20 and 40 mg/kg) orally for 7 days and intoxicated with isoproterenol (Isop+Oleu20) and (Isop+Oleu40) groups. The subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (100 mg/kg body weight) to untreated rats for two consecutive days showed significant increases in ST-segment elevation, heart weight index and alteration in the ECG pattern and hemodynamic function. Else, serum levels of cardiac troponin-T, creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) underwent a notable rise in serum of Isop group by (345, 82, 73 and 106%, respectively) as compared to normal rats. Isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury was evidenced by alteration in serum lipids profile and increased activities of pancreatic lipase by 94% and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) by 78% which reflects the occurrence of cardiac remodeling process. The histopathological findings of the infarcted group showed myocardium necrosis and cells inflammatory infiltration. However, the treatment with oleuropein gave a good protection of the myocardium by decreasing cardiac injury markers specially troponin-T, restoring hemodynamic parameters and attenuating cardiac remodeling process through inhibition of ACE activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Oleuropein offers high preventive effects from cardiac remodeling process in rats with acute myocardial infarction.