Abstract Background The study was conducted to examine therapeutic effects of lavender oil (LO) against myocardial infarction (MI) and its potential mechanisms. Methods A rat model of MI was established and LO (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administrated immediately after ischemia. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of LO were evaluated by immunohistochemical assay and measurement of SOD, GSH, and MDA. The myocardial injury markers, apoptotic activity and infarct volume were examined by ELISA, TUNEL and TTC staining, respectively. Results Compared with the control I/R-Vehicle, the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL- 1β) significantly reduced 8 h after reperfusion and expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) elevated 48 h after reperfusion in LO-treated rats (P < 0.05). Likewise, significant decreases in apoptotic activity, infarct volume and significant restoration of antioxidant endogenous defenses were observed in LO-treated rats (P < 0.05). Conclusion Collectively, these findings confirm that LO can be a good candidate to reduce injury after MI.
