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Changes in cardiac cells due to ticagrelor and enoxaparin in a rat ischemia/reperfusion model
Orhan Fındık1, Ozgur Baris2, Yusufhan Yazir3,4
1Health Sciences University, Derince Training and Research Hospital, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery - Kocaeli, Turkey.
Insights
Ticagrelor and enoxaparin pretreatment protected rat hearts against ischemia/reperfusion injury. Ticagrelor demonstrated significant protective effects, nearly normalizing heart tissue histology and reducing apoptosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Pharmacology
- Histopathology
Background:
- Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a significant concern in cardiovascular pathologies.
- Ticagrelor (antiplatelet) and enoxaparin (anticoagulant) are utilized in cardiovascular conditions and are investigated for novel protective roles.
- Previous studies suggest potential protective effects of these drugs in I/R models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the cardioprotective effects of ticagrelor and enoxaparin pretreatments.
- To assess these effects using histological and immunohistochemical markers in a rat I/R model.
Main Methods:
- Wistar-albino rats were divided into four groups: Sham-Control, Control-Saline+I/R, Ticagrelor+I/R, and Enoxaparin+I/R.
- An ischemia/reperfusion injury model was induced in relevant groups.
- Heart tissue sections were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin staining and Caspase 3 immunostaining for apoptosis detection.
Main Results:
- Ischemia/reperfusion induced significant myocardial damage in the control group.
- Both ticagrelor and enoxaparin pretreatments significantly reduced myocardial damage and apoptosis.
- Ticagrelor pretreatment notably improved histological appearance, nearing that of normal myocardium (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Ticagrelor and enoxaparin exhibit protective properties against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat heart tissue.
- Histological findings support the cardioprotective role of these drug pretreatments in an I/R model.
Objective:
Studies on ischemia/reperfusion injury remain the focus of interest. Ticagrelor and enoxaparin, which are antiaggregant and anticoagulant drugs developed for use in many cardiovascular pathologies, are still included in many ischemia/reperfusion studies. Remarkably, their new protective effects, especially with regard to ticagrelor, continue to be reported in the current literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effects of ticagrelor and enoxaparin pretreatments on the rat heart with histological and immunohistochemical markers in an ischemia/reperfusion model.
Methods:
Wistar-albino rats (weighing 350-400 g) were divided into four groups as follows: Sham-Control (Group 1), Control-Saline+ischemia/reperfusion (Group 2), Ticagrelor+ischemia/reperfusion (Group 3), and Enoxaparin+ischemia/reperfusion (Group 4). The ischemia/reperfusion injury model was applied to Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4. Heart tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histological examinations. Caspase 3 immunostaining was evaluated to detect apoptosis in the heart tissue sections.
Results:
Both pretreatments ameliorated the ischemic damage but especially tissue sections belonging to Group 3 were nearly similar to control levels. The results indicated that ischemia/reperfusion-induced myocardial damage was significantly increased in Group 2, whereas ticagrelor and enoxaparin pretreatments in Group 3 and Group 4 significantly decreased apoptotic scores and the histological appearance of the Group 3 close to the normal myocardium (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
As supported by histological findings in our study, ticagrelor and enoxaparin have protective properties for heart tissue in this ischemia/reperfusion injury model.
