Zero flow global ischemia-induced injuries in rat heart are attenuated by natural honey.

PURPOSE In the present study, effects of preischemic administration of natural honey on cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial infarction size during zero flow global ischemia were investigated in isolated rat heart. METHODS The isolated hearts were subjected to 30 min zero flow global ischemia followed by 120 min reperfusion then perfused by a modified drug free Krebs-Henseleit solution throughout the experiment (control) or the solution containing 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2% of natural honey for 15 min before induction of global ischemia (treated groups), respectively. Cardiac arrhythmias were determined based on the Lambeth conventions and the infarct size was measured by computerized planimetry. RESULTS Myocardial infarction size was 55.8±7.8% in the control group, while preischemic perfusion of honey (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2%) reduced it to 39.3±11, 30.6±5.5 (P<0.01), 17.9±5.6 (P<0.001) and 8.7±1.1% (P<0.001), respectively. A direct linear correlation between honey concentrations and infarction size reduction was observed (R(2)=0.9948). In addition, total number of ventricular ectopic beats were significantly decreased by all used concentrations of honey (P<0.05) during reperfusion time. Honey (0.25, 0.5 and 1 %) also lowered incidence of irreversible ventricular fibrillation (P<0.05). Moreover, number and duration of ventricular tachycardia were reduced in all honey treated groups. CONCLUSION Preischemic administration of natural honey before zero flow global ischemia can protect isolated rat heart against ischemia/reperfusion injuries as reduction of infarction size and arrhythmias. Maybe, antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of honey, reduction of necrotized tissue and providing energy sources may involve in these cardioprotective effects of honey.