Allopurinol and valproic acid improve cardiac triglyceride and Na+-K+-ATPase activity independent of circulating aldosterone in female rats with glucose intolerance

Context: Studies have shown that cardiac triglyceride accumulation and impaired Na+-K+-ATPase activity are linked to diabetes- related cardiovascular disease, particularly in women. Objectives: We hypothesised that allopurinol (ALL) and valproic acid (VPA) treatment would improve cardiac triglyceride and Na+-K+-ATPase activity independent of circulating aldosterone in Combined Oral Contraceptive (COC)-induced dysglycemia Materials and methods: Rats received COC (1.0 mu g ethinylestradiol and 5.0 mu g levonorgestrel; po) with or without ALL (1 mg; po) and VPA (20 mg; po) for 6 weeks. Results: COC-treatment led to impaired glucose tolerance, accumulated abdominal fat, dyslipidemia, elevated plasma MDA, PAI-1 and aldosterone levels and also reduced plasma nitric oxide bioavailability and cardiac Na+-K+-ATPase activity. However, either ALL or VPA treatment ameliorated these alterations comparably independent of elevated aldosterone level Discussion and conclusion: Our results suggest that either ALL or VPA would improve cardiac TG and Na+-K+-ATPase activity comparably in COC-treated rats, regardless of circulating aldosterone level.