Faculty Collaboration Database

Seven day oral supplementation with Cardax (disodium disuccinate astaxanthin) provides significant cardioprotection and reduces oxidative stress in rats. Mol Cell Biochem 2006 Feb;283(1-2):23-30

Date

01/31/2006

Pubmed ID

16444582

DOI

10.1007/s11010-006-2217-6

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-33645770524 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   54 Citations

Abstract

In the current study, the improved oral bioavailability of a synthetic astaxanthin derivative (Cardax; disodium disuccinate astaxanthin) was utilized to evaluate its potential effects as a cardioprotective agent after 7-day subchronic oral administration as a feed supplement to Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals received one of two concentrations of Cardax in feed (0.1 and 0.4%; approximately 125 and 500 mg/kg/day, respectively) or control feed without drug for 7 days prior to the infarct study carried out on day 8. Thirty minutes of occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery was followed by 2 h of reperfusion prior to sacrifice, a regimen which resulted in a mean infarct size (IS) as a percentage (%) of the area at risk (AAR; IS/AAR,%) of 61 +/- 1.8%. The AAR was quantified by Patent blue dye injection, and IS was determined by triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. Cardax at 0.1 and 0.4% in feed for 7 days resulted in a significant mean reduction in IS/AAR,% to 45 +/- 2.0% (26% salvage) and 39 +/- 1.5% (36% salvage), respectively. Myocardial levels of free astaxanthin achieved after 7-day supplementation at each of the two concentrations (400 +/- 65 nM and 1634 +/- 90 nM, respectively) demonstrated excellent solid-tissue target organ loading after oral supplementation. Parallel trends in reduction of plasma levels of multiple lipid peroxidation products with disodium disuccinate astaxanthin supplementation were observed, consistent with the documented in vitro antioxidant mechanism of action. These results extend the potential utility of this compound for cardioprotection to the elective human cardiovascular patient population, for which 7-day oral pre-treatment (as with statins) provides significant reductions in induced periprocedural infarct size.

Author List

Gross GJ, Hazen SL, Lockwood SF

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

Administration, Oral
Animal Feed
Animals
Biological Availability
Cardiotonic Agents
Coronary Vessels
Dietary Supplements
Lipid Peroxidation
Myocardial Infarction
Myocardial Reperfusion
Oxidative Stress
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Succinates
Xanthophylls
beta Carotene