Cymbopogon Proximus Essential Oil Protects Rats against Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy and Fibrosis

Figures

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  Figure 1. Effect of Cymbopogon proximus essential oil (CPEO) on body weight (BW) and heart weight (HW) of rats. Male albino rats were injected intraperitoneally daily with vehicle (saline + olive oil) as the control, CPEO (800 µL/kg/d), isoproterenol (ISO; 5 mg/kg), or CPEO (800 µL/kg/d) plus isoproterenol (5 mg/kg). CPEO administration was started 4 d prior to isoproterenol administration and continued concurrently thereafter for an additional 3 d. The HW/BW ratio (mg/g) was determined for each animal after 7 d of treatment with vehicle, CPEO, ISO, or a combination of ISO+CPEO. The results are presented as the means of six independent experiments ± SEM. * p < 0.05 compared to control, # p < 0.05 compared to ISO-treated rats.

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  Figure 2. Effect of Cymbopogon proximus essential oil (CPEO) and/or isoproterenol (ISO) on hypertrophy markers. Male albino rats were injected intraperitoneally daily with vehicle (Control), PEO (800 µL/kg/d), ISO (5 mg/kg), or CPEO (800 µL/kg/d) plus ISO (5 mg/kg). Oil administration was started 4 d prior to ISO administration and continued concurrently thereafter for an additional 3 d. Expression of hypertrophic genes ANP (a), BNP (b), and β-MHC (c) in heart tissue based on mRNA levels measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results are presented as the means of six independent experiments ± SEM. * p < 0.05 compared to control, # p < 0.05 compared to ISO-treated rats.

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  Figure 3. Effect of Cymbopogon proximus essential oil (CPEO) and/or isoproterenol (ISO) on myocardial architecture. Male albino rats were injected intraperitoneally daily with vehicle (Control), CPEO (800 µL/kg/d), ISO (5 mg/kg), or CPEO (800 µL/kg/d) plus ISO (5 mg/kg). Oil administration was started 4 d prior to ISO administration and continued concurrently thereafter for an additional 3 d. Histological examination and pathological changes in heart tissue. (a) Representative images of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained fields are shown for the left ventricles of rats of the control group and rats treated with ISO+CPEO or ISO alone (magnification, × 200), (necrosis (N); degeneration (D); pyknotic changes in the nuclei (arrows)) (b) Mean cross-sectional areas of cardiomyocytes from left ventricles of rats from the indicated experimental groups were calculated and are shown. The results are presented as the means of four independent experiments ± SEM. * p < 0.05 compared to control, # p < 0.05 compared to ISO-treated rats.

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  Figure 4. Effect of Cymbopogon proximus essential oil (CPEO) and/or isoproterenol (ISO) on myocardial fibrosis. Male albino rats were injected intraperitoneally daily with vehicle, CPEO (800 µL/kg/d), ISO (5 mg/kg), or CPEO (800 µL/kg/d) plus ISO (5 mg/kg). Oil administration was started 4 d prior to ISO administration and continued concurrently thereafter for an additional 3 d. Histological analysis and pathological changes in cardiac tissue. (a) Representative Masson’s trichrome staining of left ventricles of control group rats and rats treated with ISO+CPEO or ISO alone. (b) Quantitative analysis of myocardial collagen volume fraction (CVF) in the left ventricles of rats of the experimental and control groups. The results are presented as the means of four independent experiments ± SEM. * p < 0.05 compared to control, # p < 0.05 compared to ISO-treated rats.

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  Figure 5. Effect of Cymbopogon proximus essential oil (CPEO) and/or isoproterenol (ISO) on levels of fibrosis markers. Male albino rats were injected intraperitoneally daily with vehicle, CPEO (800 µL/kg/d), ISO (5 mg/kg), or CPEO (800 µL/kg/d) plus ISO (5 mg/kg). Oil administration was started four days prior to ISO administration and continued concurrently thereafter for an additional 3 d. Gene expression levels of fibrosis markers Pro I (a) and Pro III (b) were determined in the heart using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results are presented as the means of six independent experiments ± SEM. * p < 0.05 compared to control, # p < 0.05 compared to ISO-treated rats.