Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. augments cardioprotection via antioxidant and antiapoptotic cascade in isoproterenol induced cardiotoxicity in rats.

Worldwide, Ischemic heart disease (IHD) affects a large population. Implication of myocardial infarction (MI) and its multiple pathophysiology in cardiac function is well known. Further, isoproterenol (ISP) is known to induce MI. Today, there is an urgent need for effective drug that could limit the myocardial injury. Therapeutic intervention with antioxidants has been shown useful in preventing the deleterious changes produced by ISP. Here, we investigated the protective effects of oral pre-treatment of hydroalcoholic extract of bark of Terminalia arjuna (HETA) on biochemical and apoptotic changes during cardiotoxicity induced by isoproterenol (ISP) in rats. HETA was orally administered at a dose of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body wt., for 30 days with concurrent administration of ISP (85 mg/kg body wt.) on days 28th and 29th at an interval of 24 h. ISP caused deleterious changes in the myocardium and significantly increased (P < 0.05) malondialdehyde, serum glutamate oxaloacitate transaminase, creatine kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase and troponin-I. However, it significantly decreased (P < 0.05) glutathione and superoxide dismutase compared to healthy control. Oral pre-treatment of HETA for 30 days significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the biochemical parameters of oxidative stress and cardiac markers as compared to ISP control. Histopathological findings also revealed that architecture of the myocardium was restored towards normal in HETA pre-treated group. Overall, the present study has shown that the hydroalcoholic extract of bark of T. arjuna (HETA) attenuates oxidative stress, apoptosis and improves antioxidant status in ISP-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.