Background: Trimetazidine (TMZ) has been used in cardiology practice for protection from ischemiareperfusion injury. But its effects on intestinal mucosa are not well known. Our aim was to investigate the protective effect of TMZ on intestinal mucosa and on damaged kidney due to thermal injury in rats.
Material and methods: Total of 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the study of intestinal mucosa damage and 24 female Sprague-Dawley rats in renal injury model. Back regions were shaved and taken into 99°C water for about 10 seconds in order to have a thermal injury. All rats were sacrificed 5 hours after the burn injury. Tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured. In order to show the tissue edema resulting from microvascular circulatory impairment, unbiased stereological technique, Cavalieri's volume estimation applied to each kidney.
Result: TMZ decreased MPO levels, but no effect on GSH/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and MDA levels. MPO levels were significantly lower in TMZ group than burnt-control group (p<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the kidney volumes between TMZ group and sham group (p<0.05).
Conclusion: In this study, TMZ seems to be protective on intestinal mucosa and prevented kidney damage originated from thermal injury.
Keywords: Cavalieri's volume estimation; Oxidative stress; intestinal and kidney damage; thermal injury; trimetazidine.