Amifostine Pretreatment Attenuates Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Inhibiting Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress

The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of amifostine on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of mice and H9c2 cells cultured with TBHP (tert-butyl hydroperoxide). The results showed that pretreatment with amifostine significantly attenuated cell apoptosis and death, accompanied by decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and lower mitochondrial potential (ΔΨm). In vivo, amifostine pretreatment alleviated I/R injury and decreased myocardial apoptosis and infarct area, which was paralleled by increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) in myocardial tissues, increased Bcl2 expression, decreased Bax expression, lower cleaved caspase-3 level, fewer TUNEL positive cells, and fewer DHE-positive cells in heart. Our results indicate that amifostine pretreatment has a protective effect against myocardial I/R injury via scavenging ROS.