Askari S, Imani A, Sadeghipour H, Faghihi M, Edalatyzadeh Z, Choopani S, Karimi N, Fatima S. Effect of Lactation on myocardial vulnerability to ischemic insult in rats.
Arq Bras Cardiol 2017;
108:443-451. [PMID:
28444063 PMCID:
PMC5444891 DOI:
10.5935/abc.20170042]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality and long-term
disability worldwide. Various studies have suggested a protective effect of
lactation in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Objective
This study was designed to assess the effects of pregnancy and lactation on
the vulnerability of the myocardium to an ischemic insult.
Methods
Eighteen female rats were randomly divided into three groups:
ischemia-reperfusion (IR), in which the hearts of virgin rats underwent IR
(n = 6); lactating, in which the rats nursed their pups for 3 weeks and the
maternal hearts were then submitted to IR (n = 6); and non-lactating, in
which the pups were separated after birth and the maternal hearts were
submitted to IR (n = 6). Outcome measures included heart rate (HR), left
ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), rate pressure product (RPP), ratio of
the infarct size to the area at risk (IS/AAR %), and ventricular arrhythmias
- premature ventricular contraction (PVC) and ventricular tachycardia
(VT).
Results
The IS/AAR was markedly decreased in the lactating group when compared with
the non-lactating group (13.2 ± 2.5 versus 39.7
± 3.5, p < 0.001) and the IR group (13.2 ± 2.5
versus 34.0 ± 4.7, p < 0.05). The evaluation
of IR-induced ventricular arrhythmias indicated that the number of compound
PVCs during ischemia, and the number and duration of VTs during ischemia and
in the first 5 minutes of reperfusion in the non-lactating group were
significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those in the lactating and IR
groups.
Conclusion
Lactation induced early-onset cardioprotective effects, while rats that were
not allowed to nurse their pups were more susceptible to myocardial IR
injury.
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