Assessment of the Prophylactic Role of Aspirin and/or Clopidogrel on Experimentally Induced Acute Myocardial Infarction in Hypercholesterolemic Rats

INTRODUCTION: Hyperlipidemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as acute infarction. Inflammation and platelet activation are critical phenomena in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). AIM: The aim of the study was to assess potential protective effects of aspirin and/or clopidogrel on AMI in hypercholesterolemic rats. METHODS: Forty adult male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (eight rats in each). Group I included normal healthy rats. The other 32 rats were subjected to induction of hypercholesterolemia by high-fat diet for 3 weeks, followed by induction of AMI by subcutaneous injections of isoproterenol (85 mg/kg/day, for 2 days). Rats were divided into the following groups: group II, rats with induced hypercholesterolemia and AMI; group III, hypercholesterolemic rats that received aspirin 30 mg/kg/day orally for 7 days before induction of AMI; group IV, hypercholesterolemic rats that received clopidogrel 10 mg/kg/day orally for 7 days before induction of AMI; and group V, hypercholesterolemic rats treated with both aspirin and clopidogrel in the same doses for 7 days before induction of AMI. Serum levels of pentraxin 3 (PTX3), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total cholesterol and triglycerides were estimated in all rats. RESULTS: Isoproterenol-induced AMI in hypercholesterolemic rats was associated with an increase in serum levels of PTX3, TGF-β1, CK and LDH. Aspirin and/or clopidogrel pretreatment for 1 week led to a reduction of their levels as compared with non-treated rats. However, the reduction caused by combination of aspirin and clopidogrel was more than that caused by each drug separately. CONCLUSION: Combination of aspirin and clopidogrel could be a therapeutic option for hypercholesterolemic patients to attenuate the complex vascular inflammatory process which is a key step in the setting of AMI.