ABSTRACT
This study is to observe the effect of gross saponins of Tribulus terrestris (GSTT) on protein kinase Cepsilon (PKCepsilon) and apoptosis-associated protein in the apoptosis of cultured cardiocyte apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and to explore the mechanisms of GSTT against myocardial apoptosis. Primary cardiocytes were isolated and cultured. Myocardial apoptosis was induced by H2O2 and analyzed with flow cytometry. Protein content of phospho-PKCepsilon, Bcl-2, and Bax were detected with Western blotting analysis. Cleaved caspase-3 protein content was determined with immunocytochemical technique. After the pretreatment of 100 mg x L(-1) GSTT, compared with H2O2 group, GSTT could not only decrease the apoptotic percentage in cardiocytes damaged by H2O2 (P < 0.01), but also reduce protein contents of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 (P < 0.01), and increase protein content of phospho-PKCepsilon and Bcl-2 significantly (P < 0.01). PKC inhibitor chelerythrine (Che) could prevent partly the effect of GSTT against myocardial apoptosis (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Mechanisms of GSTT against myocardial apoptosis might be associated with inhibition of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway after PKCepsilon activation.
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Male , Rats , Apoptosis , Benzophenanthridines , Pharmacology , Caspase 3 , Metabolism , Cells, Cultured , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Enzyme Activation , Hydrogen Peroxide , Toxicity , Myocytes, Cardiac , Cell Biology , Metabolism , Oxidative Stress , Phosphorylation , Plants, Medicinal , Chemistry , Protein Kinase C , Protein Kinase C-epsilon , Metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 , Metabolism , Rats, Wistar , Saponins , Pharmacology , Tribulus , Chemistry , bcl-2-Associated X Protein , MetabolismABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the protective effects on acute myocardial infarction of QDYX in dog.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The corconary ciculation and cardial oxygen metabolism, the degree and range of myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarct size, and the changes of the enzymes in serum were determined by using the acute myocardial infarction model of ligation of LAD in the anaesthetized open-chest dogs.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The coronary resistance and cardial oxygen consumption were decreased and the myocardial blood flow was increased in dogs treated with QDYX of 1.0,2.0 mg.kg-1. The degree and range of myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarct size and the activity of serum CK, LDH were decreased in acute myocardial infarcion dogs treated with QDYX of 1.0,2.0 mg.kg-1.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>QDYX can decrease cardial oxygen consumption in dogs, thus having protective effect on myocardial ischemia.</p>