Angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (thiorphan/irbesartan) improved cardiac function in a rat model of myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury

Mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis plays a critical role in myocardial ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury and causes a negative impact on cardiac efficiency and function. The combined angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) is a promising cardioprotective pharmacological agent that could rescue the heart from IR injury. This study investigated the cardioprotective effect of thiorphan (TH) in combination with three different doses of irbesartan (IRB) on myocardial IR injury and detected the most effective dose combination. Male Wistar rats were used and divided into five groups (10 rats/group): (I) Sham, (II) ischemia–reperfusion I/R, (III) TH/IRB + IR (0.1/5 mg/kg), (IV) TH/IRB + IR (0.1/10 mg/kg), and (V) TH/IRB + IR (0.1/15 mg/kg) groups. Thiorphan and irbesartan were injected intraperitoneally 15 min before IR induction. Mean arterial blood pressure, left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), left ventricular maximum rate of pressure (LVdp/dtmax), and cardiac levels of creatine kinase–MB, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and endothelin‐1 were measured. Cardiac mitochondria complexes activities, histopathological examination of myocardial tissues, immunohistochemistry studies for myocardial apoptosis (Bax and Bcl‐2), and electron microscopy examination of left ventricle were performed. TH/IRB combination preserved cardiac functions and mitochondria complex activities and mitigated cardiac damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis following IR. Also, there was an evident improvement in histopathological changes and electron microscopy examination of left ventricle compared with I/R group. TH/IRB in a dose of 0.1/10 mg/kg showed significant improvement compared with the other treated groups. Thiorphan/irbesartan improved cardiac functions following IR injury. This could be explained by the reported improvement of mitochondria complex activities and reduction of oxidative stress, endothelin‐1, and apoptosis.