Abstract

The prevalence of cardiovascular changes markedly increases with deterioration of patient's renal function and can stack up 65 to 70% in end-stage renal disease. A rapid fall in renal function is often associated with uncontrolled congestive heart failure. Beyond their lipid-lowering effect, statins have been shown to protect the heart in different diseases. Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue, used to control diabetes. It improves cardiac dysfunction in non-diabetics, but underlying mechanisms remain to some extent, unclear. Fifty two male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200 to 250 g were grouped into negative control, positive control, liraglutide treated group (0.3 mg/kg), atorvastatin treated group (10 mg/kg), liraglutide and atorvastatin treated group (0.3 and 10 mg/kg, respectively), liraglutide and atorvastatin treated group (0.15 and 5 mg/kg, respectively). Combination of both drugs significantly reduce creatine phosphokinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) in both doses (p<0.008, p <0.002) and lactate dehydrognase (LDH) (p<0.04, p<0.01). Liraglutide alone or in combination with atorvastatin in both doses (p<0.02, p<0.01 and p<0.01) significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD). Atorvastatin alone (p<0.02) or in combination with liraglutide in both doses (p<0.001, p<0.001) induced a significant decrease of malondialdehyde (MDA). Atorvastatin alone (p<0.01) or in combination with liraglutide in both doses induced a significant amelioration of nitric oxide (NO) and cholesterol (p<0.01 and p<0.02). Significant improvements in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and glucose profile were seen with all tested drugs either single or in combination. Combined implementation of both drugs improves histopathological changes of cardiac muscle fibres. Liraglutide has promising effects on cardiovascular changes in adenine induced chronic nephropathy through modulation of LDH, CK-MB and improvement of NO and SOD. Also, it can mitigate fibrosis and cardiac tissue changes. Its effects markedly increase in conjunction with atorvastatin. Combined administration of liraglutide and atorvastatin in a high dose has a reliable effect on improving outcome in biochemical and histopthological cardiac muscle fibers changes.

Key word: Atorvastatin, liraglutide, adenine, renal failure.