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Clinically, timely reperfusion strategies to re-establish oxygenated blood flow in ischemic heart diseases seem to salvage viable myocardium effectively. Despite the remarkable improvement in cardiac function, reperfusion therapy could paradoxically trigger hypoxic cellular injury and dysfunction. Experimental laboratory models have been developed over the years to explain better the pathophysiology of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury, including the in vitro hypoxia-reoxygenation cardiac injury model. Furthermore, the use of nutritional myocardial conditioning techniques have been successful. The cardioprotective potential of flavonoids have been greatly linked to its anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties. While several studies have reviewed the cardioprotective properties of flavonoids, there is a scarce evidence of their function in the hypoxia-reoxygenation injury cell culture model. Hence, the aim of this review was to lay out and summarize our current understanding of flavonoids' function in mitigating hypoxia-reoxygenation cardiac injury based on evidence from the last five years. We also discussed the possible mechanisms of flavonoids in modulating the cardioprotective effects as such information would provide invaluable insight on future therapeutic application of flavonoids.

Long-term nicotine intake is associated with an increased risk of myocardial damage and dysfunction. However, it remains unclear whether targeting mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) prevents nicotine-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. This study investigated the effects of mitoTEMPO (a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant), and resveratrol (a sirtuin activator) , on nicotine-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. Sprague-Dawley rats were administered 0.6 mg/kg nicotine daily with 0.7 mg/kg mitoTEMPO, 8 mg/kg resveratrol, or vehicle alone for 28 days. At the end of the study, rat hearts were collected to analyze the cardiac structure, mitochondrial ROS level, oxidative stress, and inflammation markers. A subset of rat hearts was perfused ex vivo to determine the cardiac function and myocardial susceptibility to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Nicotine administration significantly augmented mitochondrial ROS level, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, and inflammation in rat hearts. Nicotine administration also induced left ventricular dysfunction, which was worsened by ischemia-reperfusion in isolated rat hearts. MitoTEMPO and resveratrol both significantly attenuated the adverse cardiac remodeling induced by nicotine, as well as the aggravation of postischemic ventricular dysfunction. Findings from this study show that targeting mitochondrial ROS with mitoTEMPO or resveratrol partially attenuates nicotine-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction.

S-Allylcysteine (SAC) is an extensively studied natural product which has been proven to confer cardioprotection. This potentiates SAC into many clinical relevance possibilities, hence, the use of it ought to be optimally elucidated. To further confirm this, an ischemia/reperfusion model has been used to determine SAC at 10 mM and 50 mM on cardiac function, cardiac marker, and mitochondrial permeability. Using Langendorff setup, 24 adult male Wistar rats' hearts were isolated to be perfused with Kreb-Henseleit buffer throughout the ischemia/reperfusion method. After 20 min of stabilization, global ischemia was induced by turning off the perfusion for 35 min followed by 60 min of reperfusion with either Kreb-Henseleit buffer or SAC with the dose of 10 mM or 50 mM. The cardiac function was assessed and coronary effluent was collected at different timepoints throughout the experiment for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) measurement. The harvested hearts were then used to measure glutathione while isolated mitochondria for mPTP analysis. SAC-reperfused hearts were shown to prevent the aggravation of cardiac function after I/R induction. It also dose-dependently upregulated glutathione reductase and glutathione level and these were also accompanied by significant reduction of LDH leakage and preserved mitochondrial permeability. Altogether, SAC dose-dependently was able to recover the post-ischemic cardiac function deterioration alongside with improvement of glutathione metabolism and mitochondrial preservation. These findings highly suggest that SAC when sufficiently supplied to the heart would be able to prevent the deleterious complications after the ischemic insult., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Obesity increase the risks of hypertension and myocardial infarction (MI) mediated by oxidative stress. This study was undertaken to investigate the actions of roselle aqueous extract (R) on cardiotoxicity in obese (OB) rats and thereon OB rats subjected to MI., Main Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with either normal diet or high-fat diet for 8weeks. Firstly, OB rats were divided into (1) OB and (2) OB+R (100mg/kg, p.o, 28days). Then, OB rats were subjected to MI (ISO, 85mg/kg, s.c, 2days) and divided into three groups: (1) OB+MI, (2) OB+MI+R and (3) OB+MI+enalapril for another 4weeks., Key Findings: Roselle ameliorated OB and OB+MI's cardiac systolic dysfunction and reduced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. The increased oxidative markers and decreased antioxidant enzymes in OB and OB+MI groups were all attenuated by roselle., Significance: These observations indicate the protective effect of roselle on cardiac dysfunction in OB and OB+MI rats, which suggest its potential to be developed as a nutraceutical product for obese and obese patients with MI in the future., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)