Protective effect of aspartate and glutamate on cardiac mitochondrial function during myocardial infarction in experimental rats

The present study investigates the effect of aspartate and glutamate on mitochondrial function during myocardial infarction (MI) in wistar rats. Male albino wistar rats were pretreated with aspartate [100 mg (kg body weight)−1 day−1] or glutamate [100 mg (kg body weight)−1 day−1] intraperitoneally for a period of 7 days. Following amino acid treatment, MI was induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol [200 mg (kg body weight)−1 day−1] for 2 days at an interval of 24 h. Isoproterenol (ISO) induction resulting in significant (P < 0.05) increase in the levels of cardiac mitochondrial lipid peroxidation with a decrease in reduced glutathione level. The activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased by ISO. ISO-induction also caused significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the activities of mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes (malate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase) and respiratory chain enzymes (NADH dehydrogenase and cytochrome-c-oxidase). ISO significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the cytochrome contents, ATP production, ADP/O ratio and oxidation of succinate in state 3/state 4 whereas significantly (P < 0.05) increased NADH oxidation. Pretreatment with aspartate or glutamate significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the alterations induced by ISO and maintained normal mitochondrial function. The present findings reveal the protective effect of aspartate and glutamate on cardiac mitochondrial function in myocardial infarction-induced rats.