Retinol palmitate protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting apoptosis.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether retinol palmitate could protect against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and explore the underlying mechanism. Retinol palmitate reduced the level of reactive oxygen species and prevented cellular apoptosis. In vivo, retinol palmitate increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduced the level of malondialdehyde in I/R mice. Retinol palmitate also decreased myocardial infarct size and reduced cellular apoptosis by suppressing the expression of proapoptotic-related proteins and increasing that of SOD-related proteins. Our results suggest that retinol palmitate pretreatment has a protective effect against myocardial I/R injury by maintaining the balance between intracellular oxidants and antioxidants.