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Cyclovirobuxinum D alleviates cardiac hypertrophy in hyperthyroid rats by preventing apoptosis of cardiac cells and inhibiting the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway

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Abstract

Objective

To investigate the underlying mechanisms of cyclovirobuxinum D (Cvb-D) on alleviating cardiac hypertrophy in rats.

Methods

Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: control group; levothyroxine-induced cardiac hypertrophy group (model); levothyroxine-induced cardiac hypertrophy + Cvb-D group (Cvb-D); levothyroxine-induced cardiac hypertrophy + captopril group (captopril); levothyroxine-induced cardiac hypertrophy + SB203580 group (SB203580), n=10 for each group. Rats were daily administered the respective drugs continuously for14 days by gastric gavage. A rat model of cardiac hypertrophy was established by intraperitoneal injection of levothyroxine to investigate whether Cvb-D protects against cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and preventing apoptosis of cardiac cells.

Results

Treatment with Cvb-D significantly deceased left ventricle hypertrophy, improved the histopathology, hemodynamic conditions, and cardiac function in rats with cardiac hypertrophy. Compared with the normal control group, in rats with cardiac hypertrophy, expression of bax in the heart and phospho-p38 MAPK protein levels were significantly up-regulated (P<0.01 or 0.05), whereas the bcl-2 protein level was down-regulated (P<0.01). In contrast, Cvb-D treatment reversed the changes in bax and phospho-p38 MAPK protein levels but increased the bcl-2 protein level (P<0.01 or 0.05), and these effects were similar to those of captopril and SB203580 (a specific p38MAPK inhibitor) treatment. Furthermore, both Cvb-D, captopril and SB203580 reduced mRNA expression of p38α, p38β, c-fos, and c-jun mRNA, and Cvb-D had a stronger effect (P<0.01).

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that Cvb-D protects against cardiac hypertrophy, which is possibly mediated by prevention of cardiac cell apoptosis and inhibition of the p38MAPK signaling pathway.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Prof. LIU Ai-jun (School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine) for providing guidance in heart pathology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China

    Jun-biao Wu

  2. Department of Pharmacology, College of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Jun-biao Wu, Yuan Zhou, Chun-ling Liang, Xiao-jun Zhang, Jie-mei Lai, Shu-fang Ye, Hui Ouyang, Jin Lin & Jiu-yao Zhou

  3. Science and Technology Park Co., Ltd., Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China

    Jiu-yao Zhou

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  1. Jun-biao Wu
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Correspondence to Jiu-yao Zhou.

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Supported by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Guangdong Province, China (No. 2009231)

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Wu, Jb., Zhou, Y., Liang, Cl. et al. Cyclovirobuxinum D alleviates cardiac hypertrophy in hyperthyroid rats by preventing apoptosis of cardiac cells and inhibiting the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 23, 770–778 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-015-2299-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-015-2299-7

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