There is a great evidence that
reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the pathophysiology of
ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in skeletal muscle.
Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a component of honeybee
propolis. It has
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and
free radical scavenger properties. The aim of this study is to determine the protective effects of CAPE against I/R injury in respect of
protein oxidation, neutrophil in filtration, and the activities of
xanthine oxidase (XO) and
adenosine deaminase (AD) on an in vivo model of skeletal muscle I/R injury. Rats were divided into three equal groups each consisting of six rats:
Sham operation, I/R, and I/R plus CAPE (I/R+CAPE) groups. CAPE was administered intraperitoneally 60 min before the beginning of the reperfusion. At the end of experimental procedure, blood and gastrocnemius muscle tissues were used for biochemical analyses. Tissue
protein carbonyl (PC) levels and the activities of XO,
myeloperoxidase (MPO) and AD in I/R group were significantly higher than that of control (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.005, respectively). Administration of CAPE significantly decreased tissue PC levels, MPO and XO activities in skeletal muscle compared to I/R group (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p < 0.05, respectively). In addition, plasma
creatine phosphokinase (CPK), XO and AD activities were decreased in I/R+CAPE group compared to I/R group (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, p < 0.001). The results of this study revealed that
free radical attacks may play an important role in the pathogenesis of skeletal muscle I/R injury. Also, the potent
free radical scavenger compound, CAPE, may have protective potential in this process. Therefore, it can be speculated that CAPE or other
antioxidant agents may be useful in the treatment of I/R injury as well as diffused traumatic injury of skeletal muscle.