Objective: To observe the effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha agonist Fenofibrate (FF) on energy metabolism and histology in isoproterenol (Iso) induced acute myocardial ischemic injury model.
Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, Iso group (5 mg/kg, i.p.) and FF group (80 mgxkg(-1)xd(-1) per gavage for 7 days, then Iso 5 mg/kg, i.p. n = 30 each). Twenty-four hours post Iso, heart weight/body weight ratio, myocardial histopathological changes (HE staining), serum and myocardial free fatty acids (FFA) levels, the myocardial protein expression of PPARalpha (Western blot) were determined.
Result: Compared with the control group, pathological myocardial injuries were observed under light microscope in Iso treated hearts and FF pretreatment could significantly attenuate these changes [necrotic area: 0 vs (10.00 +/- 3.00)% vs (7.36 +/- 2.60)%], the heart weight/body weight ratio, FFA in serum (501.17 +/- 43.69 vs 939.53 +/- 69.51 vs 736.53 +/- 70.30 micromol/L) and myocardium (62.01 +/- 9.19 vs 140.59 +/- 19.34 vs 116.28 +/- 14.03 micromol/L) were significantly increased while myocardial protein expressions of PPARalpha (251.57 +/- 10.95 vs 191.97 +/- 10.74 vs 215.08 +/- 9.61) was significantly downregulated in the Iso group and FF pretreatment could significantly attenuate these changes (all P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Our data suggested that the FFA utilization was decreased in Iso induced acute myocardial ischemic injury and FF could attenuate Iso induced myocardial damage via activating PPARalpha signaling pathway.