Abstract

Myocardial infarction is a major public health concern and the leading cause of death all over the world. A better understanding of the processes involved in myocardial infarction has stimulated the search for new drugs, which could limit the myocardial injury. In the present study, an attempt has been made to examine the preventive effects of chitosan, a marine polysaccharide, on isoprenaline-induced myocardial infarction in male albino rats, an animal model for myocardial infarction of human beings. Dietary supplementation of 2% chitosan for 60 days significantly reduced the isoprenaline-induced elevation in the levels of plasma diagnostic marker enzymes and maintained the level of myocardial taurine content at near normal. It exerted significant anitlipidemic effect against isoprenaline-induced myocardial infarction by maintaining the level of cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids and phospholipids in plasma and heart tissue at the levels comparable to that of control animals. Also chitosan supplementation significantly prevented isoprenaline-induced lipid peroxidation and maintained the reduced glutathione content in plasma and heart tissue at near normalcy. The results of the present investigation indicated that the cardioprotective effect of chitosan might be ascribable to the hypolipidemic property and/or antioxidant nature of chitosan.

Key words: Isoprenaline, diagnostic marker enzymes, taurine, lipids, lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione.