Protective Effects of Ivabradine (Alone and Combined With Atenolol or Enalapril) on Experimentally-Induced Acute Myocardial Infarction in Albino Rats

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Deaths are mostly attributable to coronary artery disease (CAD). Ivabradine, a pure heart rate lowering agent, acts by inhibiting the pacemaker I f current in the sinoatrial node. It can be used for treatment of heart failure and stable angina with the main drugs for CVD. Objectives: To determine the cardioprotective effects of ivabradine pretreatment alone and in combination with each of atenolol and enalapril on acute myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. Materials & Methods: Eighty four rats were divided into seven groups (12 rats each): Group 1: sham-operated group; Group 2: control (untreated) MI group; Group 3: ivabradine-pretreated group; Group 4: atenolol-pretreated group; Group 5: enalaprilpretreated group; Group 6: ivabradine and atenolol-pretreated group; and Group 7: ivabradine and enalapril-pretreated group. Rats received drugs orally by gavage daily for 6 days. On the sixth day, acute MI was induced by persistent complete left coronary artery ligation. The parameters studied were mean arterial blood pressure, ECG changes (heart rate, ST height and T-wave voltage), serum levels of creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB), cardiac troponin-I (cTnI), high-sensitivity Creactive protein (hs-CRP) and N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), tissue levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and the % of infarct size of the left ventricle.