evaluating the effect of vitamin c on myocardial angiogenesis under oxidative stress induced by exhaustive exercise in rat

Background: the main purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of exhaustive swimming with the consumption of a vitamin c supplement on indices of myocardial oxidative stress and gene expression related to angiogenesis. methods: wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups of normal (c), 100 and 200 mg/kg of vitamin c, (vc100 and vc200), exercise with 100 and 200 mg/kg of vitamin c (ex+vc100 and ex+vc200) and exercise without treatment (ex). finally, the serum activity of serum creatine phosphokinase (ck) and lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) and heart tissue oxidant/antioxidant parameters, besides gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-b (vegf-b), angiopoietin 1 (angpt-1) and matrix metalloproteinases 2 (mmp-2) was measured. results: significant increase in ldh level was seen in group ex which was remarkably attenuated in group ex+vc200 (p<0.001). the tissue oxidative stress was observed in group ex where daily intake of vitamin c could remarkably regulate this property (p<0.01). vitamin c could ameliorate significant upper gene expression of vegf-b and mmp-2 remarkably (p<0.05). conclusion: oxidative condition in myocardial besides over expression of mmp-2, could be concluded as a detrimental condition resulting from exhaustive swimming that continued by the proteolytic release of ck and ldh from the muscle. upper gene expression of vegf-b and mmp-2 besides no changes of angpt-1 can be concluded as an early stage of angiogenesis. all these events were somehow attenuated by vitamin c which confirmed its beneficial effects as an antioxidant and the role of oxidation properties in the regulation of angiogenesis.