Effect of Methanolic Extract of Marrubium crassidens Boiss on Ischemia/Reperfusion Induced Arrhythmias and Infarct Size in Isolated Rat Heart

Background: Methanolic extract of Marrubium crassidens Boiss has potent antioxidative effects and can have cardio-protective effects on Ischemia/Reperfusion (I/R) injuries in heart. Methods: The extract was prepared by maceration. The isolated rat hearts were perfused by Krebs-Henseleit solution enriched with the extract (0, 10, 50, and 100?g/ml), using the langendorff method. After 15 minutes stabilization, the hearts subjected to 30 minutes regional ischemia and then 120 minutes reperfusion. During the experiments hemodynamic functions were recorded and cardiac arrhythmias were determined. At the end, the infarct size was measured. Results: The extract at 100?g/ml caused a significant reduction in the number of ischemia and reperfusion induced ventricular-ectopic-beats (P < 0.05). The extract at 100?g/ml also remarkably (P < 0.001) reduced the number of ischemic ventricular tachycardia (VT). The incidence of ischemic VT was reduced from 100% in the control group to 20% in the group treated with 100 ?g/ml (P < 0.01). The infarct size was 70.74±10.35% in the control group whereas, perfusion of ischemic hearts with the extract (10, 50?g/ml) reduced the size to 19.11±6.26 (P < 0.001) and 25.27±3.89% (P < 0.01), respectively. Conclusions: M. crassidens has protective effects against I/R injuries in isolated rat hearts and the protective effects could be related to antioxidative activities of the extract.