Protective role of Aralia elata polysaccharide on mercury(II)-induced cardiovascular oxidative injury in rats

Mercury(II) is a highly toxic environmental pollutant leading to oxidative stress in animals and human beings. In this study we aimed to investigate the possible protective effect of a water-soluble polysaccharide (AEP-w1) from the root bark of Aralia elata against experimental mercury(II)-induced cardiovascular oxidative injury in rat model. The results showed that delayed AEP-w1 supplement to HgCl₂-treated mice not only decreased serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, but also increased serum nitric oxide (NO) metabolite levels and antioxidant capacity. Moreover, AEP-w1 administration to HgCl₂-treated mice significantly decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, along with glutathione (GSH) level in rat cardiac tissue. In addition, elevated serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) levels in the saline-treated Hg group were also reversed by AEP-w1 treatment. Therefore, the present study demonstrates that alleviation of HgCl₂-induced oxidative injury in rat by AEP-w1 contributes to better understanding of its beneficial effect against cardiovascular diseases.