P5324
Saffron (Crocus sativus) intake provides nutritional preconditioning against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in wild type and Apo-E(−/−) mice: involvement of Nrf2 activation

Extract

Background: Saffron is an antioxidant herbal derivative with potential anti-atherosclerotic and cardioprotective properties. However, its efficacy as a nutritional preconditioning agent is not yet fully elucidated.

Purpose: We tested potential cardioprotective properties of a standardized saffron aqueous extract (SFE) against ischemia (isc) /reperfusion (rep) injury in Wild-Type and Apo-E(−/−) mice and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods: Wild-Type and Apo-E(−/−) mice were subjected to 30 min isc and 2 h rep, with the following per os interventions for 4 weeks: 1) Control Group, receiving Water for injection (WFI); 2) Crocus Group, receiving SFE at a dose of 60 mg/kg; 3) Apo-E(−/−) Control Group, receiving WFI and 4) Apo-E(−/−) Crocus Group, receiving SFE at a dose of 60 mg/kg. Ischemic area/area at risk (I/R%) ratio was measured. Blood samples and ischemic myocardial tissue were collected at the 10th min of reperfusion for assessment of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrotyrosine, p-eNOS, eNOS, p-Akt, Akt, p-p42/p-p44, p42/p44, p-GSK3β, GSK3β, IL-6 and Nrf-2 expression. Moreover, we assessed SFE effect on Nrf-2 expression in vitro on HEK 293T transfected cells, via luciferase assay.