Evaluation the Protective Role of Gallic Acid on Cardiac Arrhythmias Induced by Oxidative Stress in Rat Exposure to Particulate Matters

Particulate matter (PM) increases the risk of heart disorders. Gallic acid (GA) with strong antioxidant properties has shown an effective role in reducing the complications of various diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of Gallic acid in preventing cardiac arrhythmias due to exposure to particulate matter.

In this study, 40 rats were placed in 4 groups including: control, Particulate matter (5 mg/kg), Gallic acid (30 mg/kg) and particulate matter + Gallic acid. The rats were anesthetized, blood pressure was measured with a tail cuff, and the lead Π of electrocardiogram was examined to record the prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias. Oxidative stress factors were evaluated in blood samples of all groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 16 and ANOVA statistical test.

The results showed the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia in rats exposed to particulate matter compared to the control group. Gallic acid significantly reduced the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias ventricular tachycardia (P=0.006), ventricular fibrillation (P=0.0005) and premature ventricular contraction (P=0.0041) in the particulate matter group. The Malondialdehyde levels in the particulate matter group showed a significant increase (P=0.0049) that this increase caused oxidative stress and reduced the levels of superoxide dismutase (P=0.00031) and catalase (P=0.0019) in the particulate matter group compared to the control group. The Gallic acid administration improved the levels of antioxidant enzymes.

The results of this study show that Gallic acid as a natural antioxidant agent could prevent cardiac complications caused by exposure to particulate matter.