Cardiovascular Pharmacology: Open Access

Abstract

Cardiac Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 with Chitosan-Based Scaffold after Inducing Myocardial Infarction in Dogs

Sam Zeraatian, Abbas Salehiomran, Ruhollah Mehdinavaz Aghdam, Seyed Hossein Ahmadi Tafti, Seyed Reza Ghiasi, Nasim Kiaee, Shahram Rabbani, Ali Ghiasedin, Hanif Tabesh and Nazafarin Kamalzade

Aims: Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is one of the new choices in the management of diabetes mellitus because of its glucose regulatory effects. GLP-1 receptors are expressed not only in islet cells, kidney, lung, brain, and gastrointestinal tract, but also in the heart. The cardiac effects of GLP-1 play a major role in the choice to use this treatment, considering the expression of GLP-1 receptors in heart. Degradation by dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPPIV) makes GLP-1’s half-life very short. In this study, the cardiac effects of GLP-1 with chitosan-based scaffold as well as the tissue changes after induction of myocardial infarction in canines were evaluated.

Method: Twelve canines of a similar breed and weight were included in this study. They were categorized into three groups: A case group treated with GLP-1 based on a chitosan scaffold, a group given chitosan with normal saline, and a control group given normal saline alone. Every four weeks after induction of infarction, the troponin-I serum level, regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA), angiogenesis, and microscopic and macroscopic tissue changes were analyzed.

Results: Angiogenesis and infarcted area thickness (which is inversely related to the subsequent risk of pseudoaneurysm development) were significantly higher in the case group compared with the other two groups (p value<0.05). Our case group recorded lower scores of RWMA compared with other canines (p value=0.02).

Conclusion: This investigation revealed that the new compound (GLP-1+chitosan) not only lengthens the releasing duration of GLP-1 but also has cardioprotective effects after myocardial infarction.