Vasorelaxant and Antioxidant Effects of Gagnep. (Zingiberaceae) Seed Extracts May Mediate Their Cardioprotective Activity against Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Infarction.

seeds are traditionally used in Cameroon to treat cardiac palpitations. The present work evaluates the cardioprotective effects of the aqueous (AE) and ethanolic (EE) extracts from seeds against isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction. Male Wistar rats were pretreated for 14 days with AE or EE at doses of 75 and 150 mg/kg/day or propranolol (10 mg/kg/day). On days 15 and 16, they were injected subcutaneously with isoproterenol (85 mg/kg/day). Blood pressure and heart rate were weekly recorded by tail-cuff plethysmography during pretreatment and 24 hours after the second dose of isoproterenol. At the end of the treatment period, serum Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), cardiac nitric oxide (NO), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and oxidative stress parameters (SOD, catalase, MDA, and GSH) were assayed. Sections of left ventricle tissue were subjected to histological analysis. The vasorelaxant effects of cumulative concentrations of AE or EE (3-300 g/mL) were evaluated on intact or endothelium-denuded isolated aorta rings precontracted with noradrenaline (1 M). The vasorelaxant effects of the plant extracts were also tested in the presence of N -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 100 M). AE and EE significantly prevented blood pressure decrease and heart rate increase elicited by isoproterenol. Both plant extracts inhibited the increase in ALT, AST, NO, and MPO but did not prevent LDH surge. Oxidative stress parameters were improved following pretreatment. AE and EE highly reduced cardiomyocyte necrosis and fibrosis but did not prevent leukocyte infiltration. Both extracts induced a concentration-dependent vasorelaxation that was significantly inhibited by the destruction of the endothelium and by L-NAME. Extracts of exhibited cardioprotective effects, and EE was the most active. The cardioprotective effects of extracts could be ascribed to their antioxidant, antinecrotic, and endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant effects.