Effects of carvacrol on ketamine-induced cardiac injury in rats: an experimental study

Abstract

Aim

We aimed to investigate the preventive effects of carvacrol against ketamine-induced cardiotoxicity biochemically and histopathologically in an experimental model.

Material and method

The rats were divided into three groups; healthy control (HC), ketamine alone (KG), and ketamine + carvacrol (KCG) groups. Serum Creatine Kinase Myocardial Band (CK-MB) and Troponin I (TP I) levels were determined. Malondialdehyde (MDA), Glutathione (GSH), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α), Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1beta), and Interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels were measured in the heart tissues of the rats. Heart tissues were also evaluated histopathologically.

Results

In the ketamine-treated group, tissue MDA, TNF-α, IL-1beta, and IL-6 levels increased while tissue GSH and SOD levels decreased significantly compared with the control group. However, in the ketamine plus carvacrol applied group, all those alterations were significantly less pronounced, close to the healthy controls. Severe mononuclear cell infiltrations, degenerated myocytes and hemorrhage were determined in the ketamine alone administered group, and these alterations were at a mild level in the carvacrol + ketamine administered group.

Conclusion

Prolonged exposure to ketamine resulted in induced oxidative stress in rat heart tissue; concomitant carvacrol application could counteract the negative effects of ketamine by protecting tissues from lipid peroxidation and decreasing the inflammatory response.

Keywords:

• Anesthesia
• cardiotoxicity
• carvacrol
• glutathione
• ketamine
• malondialdehyde
• oxidative stress
• superoxide dismutase

Ethics statement

The experiments were performed in accordance with the National Guidelines for the Use and Care of Laboratory Animals and the study was approved by the local animal ethics committee of Ataturk University Erzurum, Turkey (Ethics Committee Number: E-75296309–050.01.04–2100175356, Date: 01.07.2021).

Authors’ contributions

Tülay Ceren Ölmeztürk Karakurt: Wrote the manuscript text. İzzet Emir: Reviewed the manuscript. Zehra Bedir: Reviewed the manuscript text. Kezban Tuna Ozkaloglu Erdem: Reviewed the manuscript text. Halis Süleyman: Prepared figures. Cengiz Sarigül: Prepared tables. Ali Sefa Mendil: Prepared figures.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).