In this study, the protective effect of
crocin on
malathion (MTN) induced
cardiotoxicity in rats in subacute exposure was evaluated. Rats were divided into 6 groups; control (
normal saline); MTN (100 mg/kg); MTN +
crocin (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) and MTN +
vitamin E 200 IU/kg. Treatments were continued for two weeks.
Creatine phosphokinase MB (CK-MB),
malondialdehyde (MDA) and
glutathione (GSH) levels were evaluated in heart tissue at the end of treatments. The effect of
crocin and MTN on histopathological changes in rat cardiac tissue was also investigated. The alteration of
protein profile in the heart of the animals exposed to MTN was evaluated by proteomic approach through two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by matrix-assisted
laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) software. MTN induced histopathological damages and elevated the level of cardiac marker CK-MB (P < 0.01). The level of MDA increased and the level of GSH reduced (P < 0.001). MDA levels were reduced in all
crocin plus MTN groups (P < 0.001) and
vitamin E plus MTN (P < 0.001) groups as compared to MTN groups. However, in the
crocin (10 mg/kg) + MTN group, the content of GSH compared to MTN treated rats increased (P < 0.001).
Protein abundance analysis identified
proteins implicated in cardiac
necrosis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, cellular energy homeostasis, arrhythmias, heart development,
heart failure and cardiovascular homeostasis to be affected by MTN. In summary, MTN may induce damage in the heart tissue of rats following subacute exposure and
crocin, as an
antioxidant, showed protective effects against MTN
cardiotoxicity.