ROLE OF VISFATIN IN MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA-REPERFUSION INJURY EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED IN ADULT MALE ALBINO RATS

Abstract

Background: Visfatin is an adipocytokine capable of mimicking the glucose-lowering effects of insulin. Whether visfatin is capable of exerting cardioprotective effect is still uncler. Objective: The goal of this study was to demonstrate the role of visfatin in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in adult male albino rats. Design: Total number of forty healthy, adult, male albino rats were divided into four equal groups (n=10) Group 1 (I) : the rats were subjected to ischemia for 30 min, Group 2 (I/R): the rats were subjected to ischemia for 30 min and 120 min reperfusion, Group 3 (I/R+V): the rats were subjected to ischemia and reperfusion and visfatin was injected immediately prior reperfusion and Group 4 (I/R+V30): the rats were subjected to ischemia and reperfusion and visfatin was injected after 30 min of reperfusion. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and heart rate (HR) were measured at 0 min and 15 min. into ischemia, and at 5, 30 and 120 min. into reperfusion. At the end of the experiment infarct size was determined by tetrazolium staining (TTC), serum level of lactate dehydrogenase enzyme LDH, creatine kinase –MB enzyme CK-MB, and malondialdehyde MDA were calculated. Results: Injection of visfatin either immediately prior reperfusion or after 30 min of reperfusion produced insignificant changes in MABP and HR when compared by rats subjected to ischemia reperfusion injury. There was a significant increase in infraction size, LDH, CK-MB and MDA levels in (I/R) group and (I/R+V30) group in comparison with (I) group but there was insignificant change in all the mentioned parameters in (I/R+V) group when compared with (I) group. There was a significant decrease in infraction size, LDH, CK-MB and MDA levels in (I/R+V) group compared with (I/R) group however there was insignificant change in all parameters in (I/R+V30) group when compared with (I/R) group. Conclusion: Acute administration of exogenous visfatin can protect against acute myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury in a non-atherosclerotic animal model of myocardial infarction. This protection is due to direct reducing effect on infarction size that may be attributed to reduction in oxidative stress process as indicated by the decrease in MDA level.
Key words: visfatin, ischemia/reperfusion injury.