Protective effect of grape seed proanthocyanidins against cholesterol cholic acid diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats.

BACKGROUND

Dietary cholesterol plays an important role in the development of atherogenesis and cardiovascular diseases. We explored the prospective effect of grape seed proanthocyanidins in controlling hypercholesterolemia induced oxidative injury and apoptosis in atherogenic animals.

METHODS

Four groups of male Wistar rats (250-300 g) were used for the study. Group I served as control and received vehicle (saline) alone, Group II served as the induction group fed with a high-cholesterol diet (rat chow supplemented with 4% cholesterol and 1% cholic acid--CC diet) for 30 days, Group III served as drug control and was treated with grape seed proanthocyanidins (100 mg/kg body weight) orally for 30 days, and Group IV animals were fed with CC diet for 30 days along with grape seed proanthocyanidins (100 mg/kg body weight) orally.

RESULTS

CC diet induced an abnormal increase in lipid peroxidation, tissue cholesterol, triglyceride, serum low-density lipoprotein, and very low density lipoprotein, and decreased the high-density lipoprotein concentration. Altered activity of cardiac and serum creatine kinase, accompanied by a decreased cardiac enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant defense system and an increase in the expression of cytochrome c and caspases-3, was observed in CC diet-fed rats. These changes were partially restored in the grape seed proanthocyanidin-treated group.

CONCLUSION

Grape seed proanthocyanidins have cardioprotective effects against CC diet-induced hypercholesterolemia via their ability to reduce, directly or indirectly, free radicals in the myocardium.