Effects of carnosine on prooxidant-antioxidant status in heart tissue, plasma and erythrocytes of rats with isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction

Rats were injected with isoproterenol (ISO; 110 mg/kg, ip, 2 doses, 24 h interval) to induce acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and were sacrificed 6 and 24 h after the last ISO injection. The heart tissue, plasma and erythrocytes of these rats were evaluated for cardiac markers and oxidative stress parameters. Levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and the activities of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in plasma were increased 6 and 24 h after ISO treatment. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), diene conjugate (DC), and protein carbonyl (PC) were increased in heart tissue and plasma, while levels of erythrocyte MDA and glutathione (GSH) and plasma ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were also increased. However, GSH levels and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) decreased in heart tissue of rats with AMI. We also investigated the effects of carnosine (CAR) treatment on these parameters 24 h after the last ISO injection. CAR (250 mg/kg/day; ip) treatments were carried out either 10 days before ISO injection or 2 days concomitant with ISO. Pretreatment with CAR decreased plasma LDH and AST activities and ameliorated cardiac histopathological changes in ISO-treated rats. Cardiac MDA, DC and PC levels decreased, but GSH levels and SOD and GSH-Px activities increased. However, the increases in plasma MDA and PC levels as well as erythrocyte H2O2-induced MDA and GSH levels did not change due to CAR pretreatment. In conclusion, our findings indicate that CAR pretreatment may have protective effects on ISO-induced cardiac toxicity by decreasing oxidative stress.