Synthetic catecholamine triggers β1-adrenergic receptor activation and stimulates cardiotoxicity via oxidative stress mediated apoptotic cell death in rats: Abrogating action of thymol

• Isoproterenol triggers the activation of β-adrenergic receptor.
• β-adrenergic receptor activation stimulates oxidative stress.
• Apoptosis and necrosis plays a crucial role in cardio toxicity.
• Thymol counters oxidative stress mediated apoptosis and necrosis.

Nowadays, there are considerable interests in the studies which are more connected with the impact of natural antioxidants against the free radical mediated damage in biological systems. Cardiotoxicity is one of the lethal manifestations of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) which have been associated with the incidence of apoptotic cell death due to oxidative stress. We evaluated the impact of thymol, a dietary monoterpene phenol on isoproterenol (ISO), a synthetic catecholamine and a β1-adrenergic receptor agonist in rats. Thymol (7.5 mg/kg body weight) was pre and co-treated into male albino Wistar rats daily for a period of 7 days. Induction of cardiotoxicity was done by the subcutaneous administration of ISO (100 mg/kg body weight) into rats on 6th and 7th day. Cardiotoxicity in rats was confirmed by the increased levels/activity of serum troponin-T and creatine kinase in the serum alongwith decreased activity of creatine kinase in the heart. ISO induced cardiotoxic rats also showed a significant increase in the concentrations of lipid peroxidation products and a significant decrease in the activities/levels of antioxidants in the myocardium whereas Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction study revealed an increased expression of caspase-8, caspase-9 and Fas genes along with a decreased expression of Bcl-xL gene in the myocardium. Thymol pre and co-treated ISO induced cardiotoxic rats showed considerable protective effects on all the biochemical parameters studied. Histopathological and in vitro findings are found in line with our biochemical findings. Thus, the present study revealed that thymol counters ISO induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death in rats by virtue of its potent antioxidant property.