The protective effects of puerarin in cardiomyocytes from anoxia/reoxygenation injury are mediated by PKCε.

Abstract

Puerarin is an isoflavone isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Ge-gen (Radix Puerariae). Clinical studies have confirmed the cardioprotective effects of puerarin; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects are still unclear. On the basis of previous findings, we hypothesized that puerarin protects cardiomyocytes from ischemia-reperfusion injury via the protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) (a critical cardioprotective protein) signalling pathway. Neonatal rat primary cardiomyocytes were preconditioned with puerarin or puerarin plus εV1-2, a selective PKCε inhibitor, prior to anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) treatment. Western blot analysis showed that expression and activity of PKCε protein in puerarin preconditioned group were both increased compared with the control or A/R group. Subsequent assays showed that preconditioning with puerarin could increase the viability of neonatal rat primary cardiomyocytes treated with A/R, decreased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cell necrosis and apoptosis induced by A/R injury. However, the protective effects of puerarin completely disappeared in the group pretreated with puerarin plus εV1-2. Thus, for the first time, we revealed the protective effects of puerarin in cardiomocytes from anoxia/reoxygenation injury are mediated by PKCε.

• Authors: Lei Tang, Dan Liu, Xiaoqing Yi, Tiantian Xu, Ying Liu, Yuchao Luo, Dong Yin, Ming He
• Journal: Cell biochemistry and function (Cell Biochem Funct) Vol. 32 Issue 4 Pg. 378-86 (Jun 2014) ISSN: 1099-0844 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 24496955 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chemical References

• Isoflavones
• Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins
• Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore
• Reactive Oxygen Species
• Protein Kinase C-epsilon
• puerarin

Topics

• Animals
• Animals, Newborn
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Cell Hypoxia
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Cells, Cultured
• Isoflavones (pharmacology)
• Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial (drug effects)
• Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins (metabolism)
• Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore
• Myocytes, Cardiac (drug effects, metabolism)
• Protein Kinase C-epsilon (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Reactive Oxygen Species (metabolism)