African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (8), pp. 1021-1027, 16 April 2007   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2007 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Synergistic effects of squalene and polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrate on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in isoprenaline-induced myocardial infarction in rats

N. Dhandapani^1,2, B. Ganesan^1,3, R. Anandan ^3*, R. Jeyakumar¹, D. Rajaprabhu¹, R. Anbin Ezhilan¹

¹Department of Biochemistry, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (Deemed University), Ariyanoor, Salem-636308, India.

²Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R.V.S College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sulur, Coimbatore-641402, India.

³Biochemistry and Nutrition Division, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Matsyapuri (PO), Cochin-682029, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: kranandan@email.com, Tele-phone: +91-484-2666845, Telefax: +91-484-2668212.

Accepted 12 January, 2007

We have studied the synergistic effects of squalene and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA concentrate) on isoprenaline-induced infarction in rats with respect to changes in the levels of plasma diagnostic marker enzymes and myocardial antioxidant defense system. Intraperitoneal injection of isoprenaline caused a significant elevation in the levels of diagnostic marker enzymes; alanine aminotranferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in plasma of experimental rats. There was a significant rise in the level of lipid peroxidation with concomitant decline in the level of reduced glutathione (GSH) and in the activities of glutathione-dependent antioxidant enzymes; glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and antiperoxidative enzymes; superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in heart tissue. Combined supplementation of squalene and PUFA concentrate significantly prevented the isoprenaline-induced elevations in the levels of diagnostic marker enzymes in plasma of experimental groups of rats. A tendency to counteract the isoprenaline induced lipid peroxidation was also noticed. Their combined administration maintained the level of GSH and the activities of glutathione-dependent antioxidant enzymes and antiperoxidative enzymes at near normalcy. The results of the present study indicated that the combined administration of squalene and PUFA concentrate exerted significantly better cardio-protection against isoprenaline-intoxication as compared to that of per second supplementation.

Key words: Squalene, PUFA, isoprenaline, myocardial infarction, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant defense system.