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Ld. Bax and Bcl exoression in the hearts of treated animals
Bax (pro-apoptotic) and BCL-xl (anti-apoptotic) protein levels were measured in
the CONT, ADR, ADR+PROB and PROB group hearts using a Western blot technique
(114). The results for each goup were normalized by setting the values of control group
samples at 100/o.
Adriamycin administratiorq in ADR group hearts, resulted in a signiftcant
increase in the level of pro-apoptotic protein Bax (Fig. 118). The levels of anti-apoptotic
protein Bcl-xl were not found to be significantly different (Fig. l2B). The Bax/Bcl-xl
ratio in adriamycin treated hearts was increased by 435% over controls (Fig. l3).
Concomitant administration of probucol with the adriamycin in the ADR+PROB
group hearts blunted the adriamycin-induced increase in Bax levels (Fig. 1lB). The
expression of anti-apoptotic protein BCL-xl rvas found to be increased in the
ADR+PROB group when compared to the CONT and ADR group hearts (244Yo and
174%) (Fig.l2). Treatment with antioxidant probucol in the PROB group had no effect
on the expression of Bax (Fig. 118) or Bcl-xl @ig. 128). These changes reflected on the
Bax/BCL-xl ratio (Fig. 13). Adriamycin caused a significant increase in BAX/BCL-xI in
the ADR group which was significantly less in the ADR + PROB goup (Fig 13).
Probucol, by itself had no effect on this ratio.
86