Shock : molecular, cellular, and systemic pathobiological aspects and therapeutic approaches : the official journal the Shock Society, the European Shock Society, the Brazilian Shock Society, the International Federation of Shock Societies
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Crocetin, a constituent of saffron, has been shown not only to prevent reactive oxygen species-induced hepatotoxicity and genotoxicity but also to increase whole-body oxygen consumption and survival. The present study was to determine whether crocetin has beneficial effects on cardiac injury caused by hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation in rats. Anesthetized rats were bled to reduce mean arterial pressure (MAP) to 35 +/- 5 mmHg for 60 min and then resuscitated with their withdrawn shed blood and isotonic sodium chloride solution. ⋯ Myocardial nuclear factor-kappaB activity, iNOS activity, NO, malondialdehyde, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 were significantly elevated, whereas T-SOD activity was suppressed in the control group if compared with those of sham animals. These parameters tended to be normalized in rats administered crocetin. These results suggest that crocetin blocks inflammatory cascades by inhibiting reactive oxygen species production and preserving T-SOD activity to ameliorate the cardiac injury caused by hemorrhage/resuscitation.