The selective 5-LOX inhibitor 11-keto-beta-boswellic acid protects against myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury in rats: involvement of redox and inflammatory cascades

Myocardial ischemia induces 5-lipoxygenase (LOX) translocation and leukotriene production in the heart. Leukotrienes increase inflammatory responses aggravating, thereby, ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. This study aimed to investigate whether the selective 5-LOX inhibitor 11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (11-keto BA), in three different dose levels, exert a protective effect on myocardial I/R injury in an in vivo rat heart model. Sixty male Wister rats were used in this study and divided into five equal groups (n = 12): GP1, sham-operated receiving normal saline; Gp 2, rats were subjected to 45 min left anterior descending coronary artery ligation followed by 4 h reperfusion to serve as I/R group. Gps 3-5 received 11-keto BA in doses 250, 500, 1,000 mg/kg, respectively, via an oral gavage for 7 days then were exposed to I/R. I/R injury induced a significant elevation in myeloperoxidase activity and gene expression of intracellular adhesion molecules, cyclooxygenase-2, 5-lipooxygenasae, nuclear factor kappa-beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha, nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2, and hemeoxygenease-1 consequently with reduction in glutathione peroxidase in heart tissues. Furthermore, immunohistochemical examination of the heart tissues showed positive immuostaining for both 3-nitrotyrosine and caspase-3 with DNA-ladder formation in all diseased rats. 11-keto BA in three dose levels exerted dose dependent cardioprotective effect manifested by dose-dependent reduction in serum lactate dehydrogenase and infract size through mechanisms related to enhancement of antioxidant capacity and prevention of inflammatory cascades.