Several beneficial effects of resveratrol (RES), a natural antioxidant present in red wine have already been described. The aim of our study was to investigate if RES had a clinically measurable cardioprotective effect in patients after myocardial infarction.In this double-blind, placebo controlled trial 40 post-infarction Caucasian patients were randomized into two groups. One group received 10 mg RES capsule daily for 3 months. Systolic and diastolic left ventricular function, flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), several laboratory and hemorheological parameters were measured before and after the treatment. Left ventricular ejection fraction showed an increasing tendency (ns) by RES treatment. However, left ventricular diastolic function was improved significantly (p < 0.01) by RES. A significant improvement in endothelial function measured by FMD was also observed (p < 0.05). Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the RES treated group. Red blood cell deformability decreased and platelet aggregation increased significantly in the placebo group (p < 0.05), while resveratrol treatment has prevented these unfavourable changes. Concerning other measured parameters no significant changes were observed neither in placebo nor in RES group.Our results show that resveratrol improved left ventricle diastolic function, endothelial function, lowered LDL-cholesterol level and protected against unfavourable hemorheological changes measured in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

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Blocking poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of nuclear proteins protects the heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury. In addition, activation of Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades also plays a pivotal role in the survival of cardiomyocytes during ischemia-reperfusion; however, the potential interplay between these pathways is yet to be elucidated. We therefore tested the hypothesis whether poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition can modulate Akt and MAPK signaling of ischemic-reperfused rat hearts. A novel PARP inhibitor, L-2286 [2-[(2-piperidin-1-yletil)thio]quinazolin-4(3H)-one] was administered during ischemia-reperfusion in Langendorff perfused rat hearts and in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction. Thereafter, the cardiac energy metabolism, oxidative damage, and the phosphorylation state of Akt and MAPK cascades were monitored. L-2286 exerted significant protective effect against ischemia-reperfusion-induced myocardial injury in both experimental models. More importantly, L-2286 facilitated the ischemia-reperfusion-induced activation of Akt, extracellular signalregulated kinase, and p38-MAPK in both isolated hearts and in vivo cardiac injury. By contrast, isoproterenol-induced rapid c-Jun N-termainal kinase activation was repressed by L-2286. Here, we provide evidence for the first time that PARP inhibition beneficially modulates the cardiac Akt and MAPK signaling in ex vivo and in vivo ischemia-reperfusion models. We therefore propose that this novel mechanism may contribute to the cardioprotective properties of PARP inhibitors.Enhanced activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) enzyme is a major contributor to oxidative stressinduced cell dysfunction and tissue injury (Virag and Szabo, 2002;Szabo et al., 2004). Reactive oxygen species and peroxynitrite formation expedites the ischemia-reperfusion-induced cardiac injury and causes lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and single-strand DNA brakes (Habon et al., 2001;Halmosi et al., 2001). Single-strand DNA brakes can activate the nuclear PARP, which ADP-ribosylates different nuclear proteins at the expense of cleaving NAD ϩ . If PARP activation exceeds a certain limit, it can lead to cellular NAD ϩ and ATP depletion, ultimately resulting in cell death (Habon et al., 2001;Halmosi et al., 2001;Virag and Szabo, 2002;Szabo et al., 2004). We and other investigators have already shown that PARP inhibitors can efficiently reduce oxidative myocardial damage during ischemia-reperfusion both in isolated heart perfusion and in in vivo myocardial infarction models (Zingarelli et al

Doxorubicin is a widely used anticancer agent, but its application is restricted by its cardiotoxic side effects. The current theory of its cardiotoxicity is based on free radical formation. The compound H-2545, having a 3-carboxamido-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole moiety, was reported to exhibit antioxidant properties and accumulate in cell membranes, scavenging free radicals at the site of formation. Therefore, we hypothesized that H-2545 could reduce the doxorubicin-induced acute deterioration of cardiac function. Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were treated with doxorubicin and/or H-2545, its metabolite H-2954, or dihydrolipoamide. High-energy phosphate levels, contractile function, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and Akt phosphorylation were investigated. We also determined whether the antioxidants influenced doxorubicin toxicity on malignant cells. During perfusion with doxorubicin, the energetic and functional parameters of the myocardium were improved by adding H-2545. H-2545 significantly diminished doxorubicin-induced lipid and protein damage. On H-2545 treatment, the doxorubicin-triggered Akt phosphorylation was markedly reduced, whereas dihydrolipoamide had such an effect only at higher concentrations. H-2545 did not alter the anticancer effect of doxorubicin on malignant cell lines. We propose that the coadministration of the antioxidant H-2545 attenuates doxorubicin-induced acute cardiotoxicity without interfering with its anticancer effects. Prevention of the acute adverse effects of doxorubicin on myocardium may hinder the later development of cardiomyopathy.

Spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is a suitable model for studies of the complications of hypertension. It is known that activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase enzyme (PARP) plays an important role in the development of postinfarction as well as long-term hypertension induced heart failure. In this study, we examined whether PARP-inhibitor (L-2286) treatment could prevent the development of hypertensive cardiopathy in SHRs. 6-week-old SHR animals were treated with L-2286 (SHR-L group) or placebo (SHR-C group) for 24 weeks. Wistar-Kyoto rats were used as aged-matched, normotensive controls (WKY group). Echocardiography was performed, brain-derived natriuretic peptide (BNP) activity and blood pressure were determined at the end of the study. We detected the extent of fibrotic areas. The amount of heat-shock proteins (Hsps) and the phosphorylation state of Akt-1Ser473, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3βSer9, forkhead transcription factor (FKHR)Ser256, mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and protein kinase C (PKC) isoenzymes were monitored. The elevated blood pressure in SHRs was not influenced by PARP-inhibitor treatment. Systolic left ventricular function and BNP activity did not differ among the three groups. L-2286 treatment decreased the marked left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy which was developed in SHRs. Interstitial collagen deposition was also decreased by L-2286 treatment. The phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2Thr183-Tyr185, Akt-1Ser473, GSK-3βSer9, FKHRSer256, and PKC εSer729 and the level of Hsp90 were increased, while the activity of PKC α/βIIThr638/641, ζ/λ410/403 were mitigated by L-2286 administration. We could detect signs of LV hypertrophy without congestive heart failure in SHR groups. This alteration was prevented by PARP inhibition. Our results suggest that PARP-inhibitor treatment has protective effect already in the early stage of hypertensive myocardial remodeling.