α-Enolase and caveolin alterations in the heart of rats having undergone gentamicin-induced toxicity.

Gentamicin (GM)-induced heart damage is associated with alterations in expression levels of various enzymes and proteins. The aim of the present study was to investigate GM-induced alterations in cardiac α-enolase and caveolin after GM administration. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: a control group and a GM group. The GM group intraperitoneally received GM at a single dose of 7 mg/kg for 8 days, while the controls were given the same amount of saline via the same route. On Day 9, the rats were anesthetized and a thoracotomy was performed in all animals. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to evaluate protein expression of α-enolase and caveolin. Sections were analyzed by digital image analysis. Our results revealed that cardiac protein expression of α-enolase and caveolin was altered after GM-induced toxicity in the rat. The expression of α-enolase and caveolin was significantly increased after GM-induced toxicity, as determined by integrated optical density analysis, when compared with the control (P<0.05). The current findings indicate that such changes in protein expression may be reflected in abnormal cardiac function, and the proteins identified in this study may be useful for elucidating the mechanisms underlying GM-induced toxicity and may also provide various clues for further investigations.