Panax Quinquefolium Saponins enhances angiogenesis in rats with diabetes and myocardial infarction.

Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:

Xi Yang Shen (Panax quinquefolium L.) was originally recorded in "Ben Cao Cong Xin" edited by Wu Yiluo during the Qing Dynasty. Panax Quinquefolium Saponins (PQS) is the main component derived from Panax quinquefolium L, and has been wildly used in the treatment of coronary heart disease.

AIM OF THE STUDY:

This study aims to explore the potential role and underlying mechanisms of PQS in promoting angiogenesis in rats with diabetes and myocardial infarction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Echocardiograms were used to assess cardiac function, while the heart weight to tibia length ratio was calculated to determine cardiac hypertrophy. Hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-Schiff and Masson's trichrome staining were used to examine cardiac morphology, myocyte diameter, and myocardial fibrosis. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to evaluate arteriolar density. The transcriptomes were analyzed and bioinformatic analyses were conducted to predict the potential angiogenesis-promoting mechanism of PQS. In addition, RT-PCR and western blotting was utilized to examine the expression of genes and proteins influenced by PQS.

RESULTS:

PQS improved blood glucose, ameliorated cardiac function, reduced cardiac hypertrophy, and enhanced myocardial morphology in diabetic rats with myocardial infarction. PQS was also found to decrease myocyte diameter, curtail myocardial fibrosis, and increase arteriolar density. However, the effects of PQS were abolished following the deletion of protein kinase C δ (PKCδ). Molecular docking predicted strong interactions between the major blood components of PQS and PKCδ. Transcriptomic and bioinformatic analyses indicated that PQS may bolster angiogenesis by activating the VEGF/PI3K-Akt/eNOS pathway in rats with diabetes and myocardial infarction. Finally, the study demonstrated that PQS could inhibit the expression of PKCδ and stimulate the activation of the VEGF/PI3K-Akt/eNOS pathway.

CONCLUSIONS:

PQS improves blood glucose, enhances cardiac function, mitigates cardiac damage, and boosts arteriolar density. The angiogenic impact of PQS appears to be, at least partially, due to its modulation of the PKCδ-mediated VEGF/PI3K-Akt/eNOS signaling pathway in rats with diabetes and myocardial infarction.

• Authors: Deng Pan, Lin Xu, Pengfei Chen, Lina Miao, Yi Tian, Dazhuo Shi, Ming Guo
• Journal: Journal of ethnopharmacology (J Ethnopharmacol) Vol. 319 Issue Pt 2 Pg. 117252 (Jan 30 2024) ISSN: 1872-7573 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 37777023 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Panax quinquefolium saponin
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
• Blood Glucose
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
• Saponins

Topics

• Rats
• Animals
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
• Blood Glucose
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
• Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental (drug therapy)
• Molecular Docking Simulation
• Myocardial Infarction (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Saponins (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Cardiomegaly (drug therapy)
• Fibrosis
• Panax