(−) Epicatechin prevents alterations in lysosomal glycohydrolases, cathepsins and reduces myocardial infarct size in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarcted rats

The preventive effects of (−) epicatechin on oxidative stress, cardiac mitochondrial damage, altered membrane bound adenosine triphosphatases and minerals were reported previously in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction model. Leakage of lysosomal glycohydrolases and cathepsins play an important role in the pathology of myocardial infarction. This study was aimed to evaluate the preventive effects of (−) epicatechin on alterations in lysosomal glycohydrolases, cathepsins and myocardial infarct size in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarcted rats. Male albino Wistar rats were pretreated with (−) epicatechin (20mg/kg body weight) daily for a period of 21 days. After the pretreatment period, isoproterenol (100mg/kg body weight) was injected subcutaneously into the rats at an interval of 24h for two days to induce myocardial infarction. The levels of serum cardiac troponin-I and the activities of serum and heart lysosomal enzymes (β-glucuronidase, β-N-acetyl glucosaminidase, β-galactosidase, cathepsin-B and cathepsin-D) were increased significantly (P