Effect of Nigella sativa Supplementation to Exercise Training in a Novel Model of Physiological Cardiac Hypertrophy

Abstract

Exercise training is employed as supplementary therapy to patients with heart failure due to its multiple beneficial cardiac effects including physiological remodeling of the heart. However, precautions might be taken for the concomitant high oxidant release. Nigella sativa (NS) has been found to induce cardiac hypertrophy and enhance cardiac function. Combination of NS supplementation and exercise training might induce a safer model of cardiac hypertrophy. Our aim was to study biomarkers associated with cardiac hypertrophy induced by NS supplementation of exercise-trained rats. Forty-five adult male Wistar rats (body weight 150-220 g) were divided equally into three groups: control, exercise-trained (ET) and NS-treated-exercise-trained (NSET) groups. Daily 800 mg/kg NS was administered orally to NSET group for 8 weeks. Rats of the ET and NSET groups were subjected to treadmill running sessions for 2 h/day for 8 weeks. By the end of the experiment, the following were recorded: body, heart and left ventricular weights (BW, HW, LVW), cardiomyocyte diameter, serum growth hormone, insulin growth factor-I (IGF-I), thyroid hormones, catecholamines, total nitrate, ICAM and antioxidant capacity. A homogenous cardiac hypertrophy was evidenced by increased HW/BW, LVW/BW ratios and cardiomyocyte diameter in the two groups of exercise-trained compared with control rats. Rats of ET group had higher growth hormone. Those of NSET group developed higher IGF-I and total antioxidant capacity, as well as lower serum thyroxin level. Simultaneous NS supplementation to an exercise training program preserves and augments exercise-induced physiological cardiac hypertrophy with step-forward adaptive signs of increased IGF-I and reduced thyroxin level, and with an added advantage of elevation of total serum antioxidant capacity. Thus, the novel model of NSET-induced cardiac hypertrophy might be introduced as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of heart failure with superior advantages to exercise training alone.

The effects of Nigella sativa on thyroid function, serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) – 1, Nesfatin-1 and anthropometric features in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: a randomized controlled trial

“…However changes in serum Nesfatin-1 concentrations were not significant. These findings were in accordance of findings of two animal studies; in one study by Khalawi AA [25] Nigella sativa oil improved hypothyroid status and decreased serum TSH concentrations in rats; in other animal study by Al-Asoom et al [28] daily oral administration of 800 mg/kg Nigella sativa in male Wistar rats reduced serum thyroxine concentrations. However in our study, for the first time, we clearly demonstrated its beneficial role on improving thyroid function in human.…”

Is Nigella sativa an Effective Bodyweight Lowering Agent and a Mitigator of Obesity Risk? A Literature Review

“… 7 Both experimental and clinical studies showed reproducible preferable effects of long-term supplementation of NS such as antioxidation and anti-inflammation. 8 Not only this but also the intake of NS culminates in specific and favorable modulations of cardiac structure and function, 9 , 10 vascular growth and regeneration, 11 , 12 and immunoregulatory effects. 13 NS in multiple studies demonstrated favorable modifications of the glucose and lipid metabolism in diabetic patients.…”

Molecular Mechanisms of Nigella sativa- and Nigella sativa Exercise-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy in Rats

“…Nigella sativa (Ns), which is a traditional remedy used by multiple countries in the Middle East, was found to induce cardiac hypertrophy in Wistar rats after 8 weeks of oral administration [ 8 ]. The structural, functional, and electrophysiological features of the Ns-induced cardiac hypertrophy were found normal and comparable to that induced by exercise training [ 9 , 10 ].…”