Protective effect of astaxanthin on myocardial injury induced by autologous liver transplantation in rats in conjunction with the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

This study investigated astaxanthin's cardioprotective effects in rat autologous orthotopic liver transplantation. Male Wistar rats received astaxanthin (500 mg/kg) for two weeks before transplantation, with controls including sham, transplant-only, and astaxanthin plus all-trans retinoic acid groups. Astaxanthin pre-conditioning significantly reduced myocardial injury markers: IL-6 decreased 2.3-fold, cTnI decreased 1.8-fold, and TNF-α decreased 2.1-fold versus transplant controls. SOD activity increased 1.6-fold while MDA levels decreased 2.4-fold. The Bcl-2/Bax ratio improved 2.2-fold. All-trans retinoic acid negated these protective effects. Astaxanthin pre-conditioning alleviated myocardial injury via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, demonstrating therapeutic potential for cardiac protection during liver transplantation.