Influence of dihydropyridine calcium antagonist nitrendipine on benzo(a)pyrene-induced oxidative stress

Arch Pharm Res. 2011 Jul;34(7):1171-5. doi: 10.1007/s12272-011-0715-x. Epub 2011 Aug 3.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of nitrendipine (NIT), a dihydropyridine derived calcium channel antagonist, on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon benzo(a)pyrene (BAP)-induced oxidative stress. Male Sprague Dawley rats (155-220 g) were divided into four groups: Control (corn oil, i.p.); BAP (200 mg/kg, i.p.), BAP + NIT (200 mg/kg, i.p. + 50 mg/kg, i.p.), and NIT (50 mg/kg, i.p.) groups. Twenty-four hours after the injection of BAP, the rats were sacrificed and blood samples, liver, lung, and brain tissues were removed to determine serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activities and tissue thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels. BAP significantly elevated serum ALT and TBARS levels in all tissues. However, NIT pre-treatment protected against increasing TBARS levels in lung and brain tissues. In addition, NIT pre-treatment significantly increased SOD levels in lung and liver tissues, as well as GSH levels in the lungs, compared to the BAP group. Thus, in conclusion, further studies are required to confirm the protective effects of calcium channel blockers, especially in liver tissue.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / analysis
  • Antioxidants / physiology
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases / metabolism
  • Benzo(a)pyrene / metabolism
  • Benzo(a)pyrene / toxicity*
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Calcium Channel Blockers / metabolism
  • Calcium Channel Blockers / pharmacology*
  • Dihydropyridines / metabolism
  • Dihydropyridines / pharmacology
  • Glutathione / metabolism
  • Hazardous Substances / metabolism
  • Hazardous Substances / toxicity*
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver Function Tests
  • Lung / drug effects
  • Male
  • Nitrendipine / metabolism
  • Nitrendipine / pharmacology*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
  • Protective Agents / metabolism
  • Protective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism
  • Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / metabolism

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Calcium Channel Blockers
  • Dihydropyridines
  • Hazardous Substances
  • Protective Agents
  • Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances
  • Benzo(a)pyrene
  • 1,4-dihydropyridine
  • Nitrendipine
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases
  • Glutathione