Protective effects of embelin on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury following cardiac arrest in a rabbit model.

Embelin has been used to treat fever and inflammatory diseases for thousands of years. Although reports indicate that embelin has antiinflammatory effects, its effects on myocardial injury following cardiac arrest (CA) have not been previously explored. In this study, we aim to investigate the protective effects of embelin on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) following CA in a rabbit model. Pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) cytokines, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), necrosis ratio, apoptotic index (AI), hemodynamics, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65, and histological damage have been measured or evaluated. Embelin reverts TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 to basal levels and reduces the serum level of cTnI, the necrosis ratio, the AI, and the expression of NF-κB p65. Meanwhile, it improves the hemodynamics and myocardial function. Moreover, embelin-treated groups also showed improved myocardial morphology. Our results indicate that embelin may protect the heart against myocardial IRI following CA via its antiinflammatory abilities.