RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of flavone extracted from the leaves of Diospyros kaki on the apoptosis of rat cardiac myocytes induced by hypoxia-reoxygenation and advanced glycation end products in vitro. METHODS: The cardiac myocytes were isolated from neonatal SD rats and cultured in vitro for 72 h. Apoptosis of the cultured cells was induced by hypoxia-reoxygenation and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) respectively, and the effects of flavone extracted from the leaves of Diospyros kaki on the cell apoptosis was observed by measuring the apoptotic rates using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Apoptosis of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes was induced by hypoxia-reoxygenation in a time-dependent manner (6.05% +/-0.46% vs 12.45% +/-1.66%, P< 0.05), and flavone treatment of the cells significantly lowered the apoptotic rates. AGEs alone also induced apoptosis of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes (11.03+/-0.39 vs 6.25+/-0.48, P< 0.05), which was inhibited by flavone (8.40+/-0.47 vs 11.03+/-0.39, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Flavone extracted from the leaves of Diospyros kaki can inhibit the apoptosis of in vitro cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes induced by hypoxia-reoxygenation and advanced glycation end products.