Maslinic acid protects against isoproterenol-induced cardiotoxicity in albino Wistar rats

The present study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of maslinic acid (MA) on body weight, heart weight, lipids, lipoproteins, lipid peroxidation (LPO), cardiac marker enzymes, and paraoxonase (PON) in normal control and isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarcted albino Wistar rats. After treatment with MA (15 mg/kg) for 7 days, myocardial infarction was induced by subcutaneous injection of ISO (85 mg/kg) for two consecutive days. ISO caused a considerable decrease in body weight and increased the heart weight. The concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were higher, whereas that of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was lower, in the serum of ISO-administered rats. The activities of the cardiac marker enzymes creatine kinase, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and γ-glutamyl transferase and levels of malondialdehyde were elevated in the serum of ISO-treated rats. ISO-administered rats also exhibited a decline in the activity of PON. Pretreatment of rats with MA reduced the effects of ISO on all parameters tested. This is the first report of the protective effect of MA on ISO-induced cardiotoxicity and of an association between PON status and MA supplementation. The observed cardioprotective effects may be due to the antihyperlipidemic potential of MA, inhibition of LPO, and antioxidant activity.