Effect of D-003 on isoproterenol-induced myocardial necrosis in rats.

D-003 is a mixture of high-molecular-weight aliphatic primary acids purified from sugar cane wax with antiplatelet and cholesterol-lowering effects. Cardiac lesions induced by isoproterenol (ISO) are characterized by myocardial necrosis and exudative infiltration. The objective of this study was to determine whether D-003 shows protective effects against ISO-induced myocardial necrosis in rats. Effects of orally administered single doses of D-003 (25-400 mg/kg) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, 30 mg/kg), as well as repeated doses of D-003 (5-200 mg/kg), on characteristic markers of ISO-induced myocardial necrosis in rats were investigated. D-003 administered as single doses dose-dependently decreased necrosis area, percent of infarct area, and the presence of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) in myocardial tissue, but only the reductions induced by 200 and 400 mg/kg were significant. Oral acute treatment with ASA also decreased necrosis area and percent of infarct area, but the occurrence of PMNs was unchanged. D-003 administered repeatedly for 10 days also decreased all myocardial necrosis indicators in a dose-dependent manner, with results effective from 25 mg/kg to the highest dose tested, indicating that the repeated dose scheme was more effective to prevent the damage. It is concluded that D-003 shows a protective effect on the myocardial necrosis induced by ISO in rats.