Acute treatment with copoazú fermented extract ameliorates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via eNOS activation

• Published in: Journal of functional foods Vol. 34; pp. 470 - 477
• Main Authors: Fantinelli, Juliana C., Cuéllar Álvarez, Liceth N., González Arbeláez, Luisa F., Ciocci Pardo, Alejandro, Galeano García, Paula L., Schinella, Guillermo R., Mosca, Susana M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2017; Elsevier
• Subjects: Copoazú; Fermentation; Ischemia-reperfusion; Mitochondria; NOS; Ischemia-reperfusion; Mitochondria; NOS; Fermentation; Copoazú
• ISSN: 1756-4646; 2214-9414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2017.05.010

•Copoazú fermented extract (CFE) protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury.•Fermentation decreases the antioxidant power and increases the cardioprotective efficacy.•Akt and PKCε-dependent pathways mediate the cardioprotection.•eNOS activation plays a crucial role in the attenuation of postischemic damage. Our aim was to examine the effects of aqueous extracts of fermented (CFE) and non-fermented (CNFE) ¨copoazú¨ (fruit of Theobroma grandiflorum) seeds against ischemia-reperfusion injury. Isolated rat hearts were submitted to 30min of global ischemia (GI) and 60min of reperfusion (R). Other hearts received CFE or CNFE in absence or in presence of L-NAME (a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor). Infarct size (IS) and post-ischemic myocardial function (PMF) were measured. Lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione (GSH) and the expression of phosphorylated forms of eNOS, Akt, GSK-3β and PKCε were assessed. The response of isolated mitochondria to Ca2+ (MR) was also determined. CFE but not CNFE decreased IS, increased PMF and the expression of P-eNOS, P-Akt, P-GSK-3β and P-PKCε, partially preserved GSH and improved MR. These effects were lost in presence of L-NAME. These data demonstrate that the acute treatment with CFE protects the heart against ischemia-reperfusion damage through NOS-dependent mechanisms.