Etanercept ameliorate cardiac damage and Apoptosis Induced by Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion in male mice.

Ischemia-reperfusion of cardiac tissues may lead to a prominent damage of the cardiomyocyte through either necrosis or apoptosis that seems to be the predominant modes of death during this period. In this study, we investigated the effects of Etanercept in regional ischemia/ reperfusion injury and apoptosis. White albino adult male mice were divided into four groups (six mice per group). Sham group, mice were subjected for all surgical procedure without ligation of the left interior descending coronary artery (LAD). Control group, in which LAD was ligated. Control vehicle and Etanercept treated groups, mice subjected to the surgical procedure with ligation of LAD for 30 minutes followed by 120 minutes reperfusion, mice treated with normal saline (etanercept vehicle)  and Etanercept (5 mg/kg, I.P.  5 minute before reperfusion). At the end of reperfusion, cardiac tissue  caspase 3 and Bcl-2, as well as plasma cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured. It has been found that Etanercept treated group showed significant reduction (P˂0.01) in caspase 3and cTnI but increase (P˂0.01)  the level of the Bcl-2 as compare with the control groups. Histopathology study revealed that the treatment with Etanercept significantly (P˂0.01) improved cardiac injury as compared with control groups and the total severity scores showed showed 16.7 % of the group had no damage and 50% had mild cardiac injury and 33.3% had moderate cardiac injury of Etanercept treated group. It is concluded that Etanercept reduces cardiac damage and apoptosis associated with ischemia/reperfusion injury.