Faculty Collaboration Database

Acute and chronic administration of disodium disuccinate astaxanthin (Cardax) produces marked cardioprotection in dog hearts. Mol Cell Biochem 2005 Apr;272(1-2):221-7

Date

07/14/2005

Pubmed ID

16010990

DOI

10.1007/s11010-005-7555-2

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-20944444610 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   64 Citations

Abstract

Previous results from our laboratory have shown that a novel carotenoid derivative (disodium disuccinate astaxanthin; Cardax) produced dose-related reductions in myocardial infarct size (IS) in Sprague-Dawley rats when it was administered at any of three doses (25, 50 and 75 mg/kg, iv) on four consecutive days, followed by the acute infarct size study on day 5. Maximum salvage occurred at the highest dose (75 mg/kg) tested, and was shown as a 56% reduction in IS. In the present follow-up study, we used a more relevant large animal model, the dog, and looked at the effect of administering Cardax iv either acutely 2 h prior to occlusion (N = 8) or for 4 days at 50 mg/kg iv as previously done in the rat model (N = 6). The results were compared to a saline vehicle-treated group (N = 10). In all groups, dogs were subjected to 60 min of left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery occlusion and 3 h of reperfusion. IS was determined using a triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTZ) histochemical stain and was expressed as a percent of the area at risk (IS/AAR). IS/AAR was 20.9 +/- 1.6 % (mean +/- S.E.M.) in controls and was reduced to 11.0 +/- 1.7% (47.3% salvage; p < 0.01) in dogs treated only once iv at 2 h prior to occlusion, and 6.6 +/- 2.8% (68.4% salvage; p < 0.001) in dogs treated for 4 days. In the chronic treatment group, two of the three dogs with plasma concentrations of non-esterified astaxanthin above 1 microM had 0% IS/AAR (100% cardioprotection). These results suggest that Cardax has marked cardioprotective properties in both rodents and canines. Thus, Cardax may be a novel and powerful new means to prevent myocardial injury and/or necrosis associated with elective and/or urgent cardiac surgical interventions such as coronary angioplasty and stenting, as well as coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).

Author List

Gross GJ, Lockwood SF

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Cardiotonic Agents
Dogs
Heart
Myocardial Infarction
Myocardial Reperfusion
Myocardial Reperfusion Injury
Succinates
Xanthophylls
beta Carotene