Pterostilbene after Acute Myocardial Infarction: Effect on Heart and Lung Tissues

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death worldwide. ^, In Brazil, ischemic heart diseases are the leading cause of cardiovascular death, and acute myocardial infarction presented a mortality rate of 9.06% until October 2021.

Myocardial ischemia generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), which, in turn, increases pro-inflammatory mediators that might activate different pathways to promote repairing of the infarcted region, a process known as cardiac remodeling. ^– However, when there is prolonged production of reactive species, incapacity of the antioxidant system and amplification of inflammatory and metabolic changes in the heart, non-infarcted region is impaired, leading to progressive changes in ventricular geometry. Progressively, changes can occur in the left and right ventricles associated with hemodynamic changes in the pulmonary vessels and consequent pulmonary hypertension. ^, In this context, the search for treatments that might attenuate cardiac and pulmonary changes focusing on redox balance stand out.

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