Kolaviron and Garcinia kola Attenuate Homocysteine-Induced Arteriosclerosis and Cardiotoxicity in Wistar Rats

Sixty male Wistar rats were divided into six groups of 10 rats each. Group I was the control. Group II received homocysteine (Hcy) (200 mg/kg body weight) alone daily for 14 days. Rats in groups III and IV received Kolaviron orally at 100 and 200 mg/kg respectively, in addition to Hcy. Rats in groups V and VI received Garcinia kola (GK) orally (100 and 200 mg/ kg respectively) in addition to Hcy (200 mg/kg) for a period of 14 days. The results showed that Hcy caused a reduction in heart rate, shortened QT and QTc intervals together with low voltage QRS which were reversed by Kolaviron (100&amp;200 mg/kg body weight) and Garcinia kola (100&200 mg/kg body weight). Hcy alone also caused a significant (p<0.05) increase in MDA, H₂O₂ generation, Xanthine oxidase, Myeloperoxidase, Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Creatinine kinase cardiac specific (CK-MB) and nitrite with a significant (p<0.05) reduction in non-enzymic and enzymic antioxidants such as Reduced glutathione (GSH), Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), Glutathione-s-transferase (GST), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) coupled with a significantly high serum values of total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoproteins (LDL) and a significant reduction in (p<0.05) high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Overall, co-administration of Hcy with Garcinia kola at 200 mg/kg body weight showed a better cardioprotective and antiatherosclerotic effect on (Hcy)-induced cardiotoxicity and atherosclerosis than Kolaviron in this study.