Ferilnic nirate produces delayed preconditioning against myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats

To determine whether ferilnic nirate (FLNT) can precondition the rat heart against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage and its mechanism, two groups of experiments were conducted. In the first group of experiments, rats were divided among four treatment groups: sham group; solvent with I/R (I/R control group); FLNT pretreatment with I/R (I/R FLNT group); and late ischemic preconditioning group (LPC group). In the second group of experiments without I/R, rats were divided into two treatment groups: control group and FLNT group. The results indicated that myocardial infarct size and the levels of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase in the sera of the I/R FLNT group were significantly lower and the level of nitric oxide molecule and Mn-containing superoxide dismutase were significantly elevated in the heart tissue compared with I/R control group. The protein expression ratio of Bcl-2/Bax in heart tissue was significantly elevated in the I/R FLNT group. These results demonstrate FLNT is able to precondition rat hearts against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion damage to a similar level as that achieved via the late phase of ischemic preconditioning. The mechanism may involve the up-regulation of nitric oxide and the strengthening of anti-oxidant and anti-apoptosis cellular functions.