Oxytocin Hormone Administration Attenuates Cardiac Oxidative Injury and Inflammation in Hypercholesterolemic Rats
Walaa `Hassan Nazmy
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Egypt
Hanaa M. Ibrahim *
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Egypt
Adel Hussein Saad
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Egypt
Alaa El Din R. Abdel Rheim
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Egypt
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: Oxytocin (OT) hormone has been recently recognized as a cardiovascular hormone with diverse regulatory roles. The present study examined the potential protective effect of exogenous OT administration on hypercholesterolemia-induced injury in rat heart and possible mechanisms involved.
Methodology: Hypercholesterolemia was induced in adult male albino rats fed high cholesterol diet 2% either with or without daily subcutaneous injection of OT (1.6 µg/kg body weight/day) for 8 weeks. Serum parameters included; Serum lipid profile, C-reactive protein, cardiac injury markers including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) levels were measured. Cardiac tissue parameters included malondialdehyde (MDA), total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC), nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) contents.
Results: Hypercholesterolemic rats showed marked dyslipidemia, significantly high serum levels of C-reactive protein, LDH and CK. Cardiac tissue samples showed enhanced oxidative stress and inflammation in terms of increased MDA and TNF-α alongside decreased TAC and NO contents. OT–treated animals exhibited significantly lower serum C-reactive protein, LDH and CK levels but without significant change in serum lipids. Cardiac tissue samples showed significantly lower MDA and TNF-α alongside significantly higher TAC and NO contents.
Conclusion: These results demonstrate a potent cardioprotective effect of OT hormone against hypercholesterolemia-induced cardiac injury probably via anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms.
Keywords: Oxytocin, cholesterol, heart, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory