Inhibitory effects of a phosphate diester of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid (EPC-K1) on myocardial infarction in rats.

The inhibitory effect of a phosphate diester of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid (EPC-K1) was examined in myocardial infarction induced in rats, in comparison with a selective 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, AA-861. EPC-K1 significantly reduced the infarct size at 24 and 48 h after ligation, whereas AA-861 reduced it only at 48 h after ligation. In in-vitro experiments, EPC-K1 inhibited not only superoxide anion generation (IC50 = 4.2 x 10(-5) M), but also acid phosphatase activity (IC50 = 2.4 x 10(-5) M) in rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes in a concentration-dependent manner, while AA-861 showed marginal effects on both actions. These results indicated that EPC-K1 induced cardioprotective effects by affecting neutrophil functions by inhibition of generation of superoxide-anion generation and acid-phosphatase activity. The mechanism of the reduction of the infarct size by EPC-K1 differed from that of AA-861, which latter inhibited 5-lipoxygenase and the formation of leukotriene B4.