Nitecapone protects the Langendorff perfused heart against ischemia-reperfusion injury.

We assessed the protection afforded against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion by nitecapone in the Langendorff heart model using male Sprague-Dawley rats. We found that when present in the perfusate 10 microM nitecapone improved the mechanical function of the heart and lowered the enzyme leakage of lactate dehydrogenase after 40 minutes of global ischemia. In nitecapone treated hearts the content of oxidized proteins and lipids (carbonyl groups and endogenous lipid fluorescent products) decreased. Nitecapone partially prevented the loss of total sulfhydryl groups and vitamin E after ischemia and reperfusion. We suggest that the mechanism of nitecapone protection most likely involves direct antioxidant action and enhancing the activity of other antioxidants.