Cardioprotective effect of resvaratrol pretreatment on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion induced injury in rats.

OBJECTIVE

The major objective of the present study was to examine the cardioprotective effect of resveratrol, an antioxidant presents in red wine, in the rat after ischemia-reperfusion (I/R).

DESIGN

The left coronary artery was in occlusion for 30 min followed by a 120 min reperfusion in anesthetized rats. Animals were pretreated with and without resveratrol before occlusion. The post-ischemic ventricular function (left ventricle maximum systolic pressures and the maximal first derivative of developed pressure) and myocardial infarct size and myocardial nitric oxide (NO) and malonaldehyde (MDA) content were compared.

RESULTS

Resveratrol pretreatment had dramatic cardioprotective effects on post-ischemic ventricular functional recovery and decreasing myocardial infarct size. Resveratrol pretreatment also increased NO and decreased MDA content in myocardium.

CONCLUSIONS

Resveratrol has cardioprotective properties in I/R rats. The cardioprotective effects in the I/R rats may be correlated with its antioxidant activity and upregulation of NO production.