Hepatic Interactions in Atherosclerotic Heart Disease

In vivo cardioprotective effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles against doxorubicin-induced myocardial infarction by enhancing the antioxidant system and nitric oxide production

BACKGROUND

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the result of reduced or stopped blood supply to a section of the myocardium. Regardless of its potential effectiveness in the treatment of several types of cancers, doxorubicin (DOX) capabilities are restricted because of its widespread cardiotoxic impact.

AIM

In this study, the protective effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles against doxorubicin-induced myocardial infarction in rats is examined.

METHODS

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized and characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, and UV-Vis spectral analysis. A total cumulative dose of DOX (18 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) was injected once daily on days 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 (i.p.) to induce MI in rats. 24 rats were divided into 4 groups; control, MI, and MI treated with two doses of ZnO NPs (45 and 22.5 mg/kg).

RESULTS

The treatment with ZnO NPs restored ST-segment near normal, ameliorated the changes in cardiac troponin T, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, total proteins, malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, reduced glutathione, and catalase.The histological investigation revealed that ZnO NPs treated group showed marked improvement in the examined cardiac muscle and liver in numerous sections.The lower dose of ZnO NPs (22.5 mg/kg) was significantly more effective than the higher dose (45 mg/kg).

CONCLUSION

The effect of ZnO NPs against doxorubicin-induced myocardial infarction in rats was assessed and the results revealed a successful cardioprotective potency through enhancing the antioxidant system and stimulating nitric oxide production in myocardial infarcted rats. This work implies that ZnO NPs could serve as promising agents for treating doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Low-dose atorvastatin calcium combined with evolocumab: effect on regulatory proteins, lipid profiles, and cardiac function in coronary heart disease patients

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effects of combining low-dose atorvastatin calcium with evolocumab on complement regulatory protein levels, lipid profiles, and cardiac function in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

METHODS

A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted, with 180 CHD patients enrolled from Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, and the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University between February 2022 and April 2023. These patients were randomly assigned to either the control group (n = 90), receiving low-dose atorvastatin calcium, or the research group (n = 90), receiving a combination of low-dose atorvastatin calcium and evolocumab. The changes in cardiac function indices, levels of blood lipids and complement proteins, incidence of side effects, and cardiovascular events were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

After treatment, both groups exhibited reductions in blood lipid levels. However, the research group demonstrated significantly lower levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) compared to the control group (all P < 0.001). Additionally, improvements in cardiac function indices were observed in both groups, with the research group displaying greater enhancements in cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Furthermore, the levels of complement regulatory proteins, including CD45, CD46, CD55, and CD59, increased in both groups after treatment, with the research group exhibiting significantly higher levels (all P < 0.001). Notably, the research group also exhibited a lower incidence of cardiovascular events.

CONCLUSION

The combined use of low-dose atorvastatin calcium and evolocumab effectively modulates complement regulatory protein levels, optimizes blood lipid profiles, and enhances cardiac function in patients with CHD. This combination therapy represents a promising approach for management of CHD.

Cardioprotective Mechanism of Leonurine against Myocardial Ischemia through a Liver–Cardiac Crosstalk Metabolomics Study

Leonurine has been shown to have excellent anti-myocardial ischemia effects. Our previous studies suggested that cardiac protection by leonurine during myocardial ischemia appeared to be inextricably linked to its regulation of the liver. At present, however, there are few mechanistic studies of leonurine and its regulation of hepatic metabolism against ischemic injury. In this study, a metabolomics approach was developed to give a global view of the metabolic profiles of the heart and liver during myocardial ischemia. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis were applied to filter differential metabolites, and a debiased sparse partial correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of the differential metabolites between heart and liver. As a result, a total of thirty-one differential metabolites were identified, six in the myocardial tissue and twenty-five in the hepatic tissue, involving multiple metabolic pathways including glycine, serine and threonine, purine, fatty acid, and amino acid metabolic pathways. Correlation analysis revealed a net of these differential metabolites, suggesting an interaction between hepatic and myocardial metabolism. These results suggest that leonurine may reduce myocardial injury during myocardial ischemia by regulating the metabolism of glycine, serine and threonine, purine, fatty acids, and amino acids in the liver and heart.