We have examined, in collaboration with the NTP, whether dietary supplements such as ephedra have adverse effects on the heart. Human consumption of ephedrine and caffeine in dietary supplements has been associated with a number of adverse effects including changes in the electrocardiogram (ECG), myocardial infarction, hyperthermia, and in rare instances, death (Haller and Benowitz, 2000). We investigated the potential mechanisms associated with the cardiotoxicity of combined ephedrine and caffeine ingestion using implantable ECG telemetry (Howden et al., 2005). Seven and 14 week old Fischer 344 rats treated with ephedrine in combination with caffeine exhibited increases in heart rate (HR), temperature and QTc interval. Of the 14 week old rats treated with 25 mg/kg ephedrine plus 30 mg/kg caffeine, 57% died within 3-5 hours of treatment, while none of the similarly treated 7 week old rats nor any of the rats treated with vehicle died. One hour after treatment with this dose of ephedrine plus caffeine, 14 week old rats treated with this dose exhibited a larger increase in HR (as % increase over baseline) than 7 week old rats. Furthermore, the 14 week old rats that died had a higher HR and temperature than the 14 week old rats that lived. Histopathological studies suggested interstitial hemorrhage and myofiber necrosis in the 14 week old rats treated with the highest concentration of ephedrine and caffeine. This study showed enhanced susceptibility to ephedrine plus caffeine in 14 week old rats compared to 7 week old rats. The greater mortality in the 14 week old rats was associated with increases in body temperature, heart rate and myocardial necrosis. ? We have recently undertaken a study on AZT (zidovudine) an antiretroviral drug and the cardiotoxicity that is associated with it. Rats were treated for 2 or 4 weeks with AZT, at which time we harvested RNA from the hearts of these animals. Microarrays were run on the 2 week samples and the most striking feature from these arrays was the change in multiple genes associated with the circadian clock. Real time PCR confirmed many of the changes, as well as some changes in the 4 week samples and some changes in genes that have been identified as being circadian regulated in the heart.
| Sun, Junhui; Steenbergen, Charles; Murphy, Elizabeth (2006) S-nitrosylation: NO-related redox signaling to protect against oxidative stress. Antioxid Redox Signal 8:1693-705 |
| Nyska, Abraham; Murphy, Elizabeth; Foley, Julie F et al. (2005) Acute hemorrhagic myocardial necrosis and sudden death of rats exposed to a combination of ephedrine and caffeine. Toxicol Sci 83:388-96 |
| Howden, Reuben; Hanlon, Paul R; Petranka, John G et al. (2005) Ephedrine plus caffeine causes age-dependent cardiovascular responses in Fischer 344 rats. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 288:H2219-24 |
| Wallace, Kendall B; Hausner, Elizabeth; Herman, Eugene et al. (2004) Serum troponins as biomarkers of drug-induced cardiac toxicity. Toxicol Pathol 32:106-21 |
