scholarly journals Cardiac Protective Effect of Kirenol against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy in H9c2 Cells through Nrf2 Signaling via PI3K/AKT Pathways

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 3269
Author(s):  
Abdullah M. Alzahrani ◽  
Peramaiyan Rajendran ◽  
Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan ◽  
Hamza Hanieh

Kirenol (KRL) is a biologically active substance extracted from Herba Siegesbeckiae. This natural type of diterpenoid has been widely adopted for its important anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic properties. Despite several studies claiming the benefits of KRL, its cardiac effects have not yet been clarified. Cardiotoxicity remains a key concern associated with the long-term administration of doxorubicin (DOX). The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes oxidative stress, significantly contributing to DOX-induced cardiac damage. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the cardio-protective effects of KRL against apoptosis in H9c2 cells induced by DOX. The analysis of cellular apoptosis was performed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining assay and measuring the modulation in the expression levels of proteins involved in apoptosis and Nrf2 signaling, the oxidative stress markers. Furthermore, Western blotting was used to determine cell survival. KRL treatment, with Nrf2 upregulation and activation, accompanied by activation of PI3K/AKT, could prevent the administration of DOX to induce cardiac oxidative stress, remodeling, and other effects. Additionally, the diterpenoid enhanced the activation of Bcl2 and Bcl-xL, while suppressing apoptosis marker proteins. As a result, KRL is considered a potential agent against hypertrophy resulting from cardiac deterioration. The study results show that KRL not only activates the IGF-IR-dependent p-PI3K/p-AKT and Nrf2 signaling pathway, but also suppresses caspase-dependent apoptosis.

Author(s):  
Heba Abdulmohsin ◽  
Ahmed Abu Raghif ◽  
Mohammed Jabbar Manna

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of Iraqi Echinops heterophyllus aqueous crude extract and its flavonoid fraction against methotrexate (MTX)-induced hepatotoxicity in rabbits.Methods: MTX-induced hepatotoxicity by administration of 20 mg/kg MTX intraperitoneally for 3 successive days was used as animal model, and animals were arrayed in four groups with eight animals in each group: Group 1 was the healthy control, Group 2 - the negative control receiving MTX only, Group 3 received MTX+crude extract of E. heterophyllus, and Group 4 administered MTX+flavonoid fraction of E. heterophyllus. The study duration was 10 days; at day 11, animals were sacrificed, and the blood samples were obtained for the measurement of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, total protein, and albumin as well as ELISA assay of the oxidative stress markers such as glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA). The liver was dissected and processed for histopathological investigation and scoring. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate the significance of each result.Results: The study results revealed severe liver damage due to MTX administration in the negative control (induced-non treated) group in comparison with healthy group, also there was significant hepatoprotective effect after administration of the crude extract of E. heterophyllus, and flavonoid fraction from E. heterophyllus shown after biochemical liver function tests and anti-oxidant properties demonstrated by the measurement of oxidative stress markers MDA and GSH. The crude extract of E. heterophyllus shown superior hepatoprotective and antioxidant effect. Histopathological scoring showed a remarkable decrease in the scores of the treatment groups in comparison with the high score in the MTX only treated group.Conclusions: MTX administered in a dose of 20 mg/kg for 3 successive days causes marked liver injury, while treatment with the crude extract and flavonoid fraction of E. heterophyllus significantly ameliorates MTX-induced liver damage, although the crude extract of E. heterophyllus seems to have the most hepatoprotective properties.


Author(s):  
Heba Abdulmohsin ◽  
Ahmed Abu Raghif ◽  
Mohammed Jabbar Manna

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of Iraqi Echinops heterophyllus aqueous crude extract and its flavonoid fraction against methotrexate (MTX)-induced hepatotoxicity in rabbits.Methods: MTX-induced hepatotoxicity by administration of 20 mg/kg MTX intraperitoneally for 3 successive days was used as animal model, and animals were arrayed in four groups with eight animals in each group: Group 1 was the healthy control, Group 2 - the negative control receiving MTX only, Group 3 received MTX+crude extract of E. heterophyllus, and Group 4 administered MTX+flavonoid fraction of E. heterophyllus. The study duration was 10 days; at day 11, animals were sacrificed, and the blood samples were obtained for the measurement of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, total protein, and albumin as well as ELISA assay of the oxidative stress markers such as glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA). The liver was dissected and processed for histopathological investigation and scoring. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate the significance of each result.Results: The study results revealed severe liver damage due to MTX administration in the negative control (induced-non treated) group in comparison with healthy group, also there was significant hepatoprotective effect after administration of the crude extract of E. heterophyllus, and flavonoid fraction from E. heterophyllus shown after biochemical liver function tests and anti-oxidant properties demonstrated by the measurement of oxidative stress markers MDA and GSH. The crude extract of E. heterophyllus shown superior hepatoprotective and antioxidant effect. Histopathological scoring showed a remarkable decrease in the scores of the treatment groups in comparison with the high score in the MTX only treated group.Conclusions: MTX administered in a dose of 20 mg/kg for 3 successive days causes marked liver injury, while treatment with the crude extract and flavonoid fraction of E. heterophyllus significantly ameliorates MTX-induced liver damage, although the crude extract of E. heterophyllus seems to have the most hepatoprotective properties.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Peramaiyan Rajendran ◽  
Abdullah M. Alzahrani ◽  
Emad A. Ahmed ◽  
Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan

Atherosclerosis is a persistent inflammatory disorder specified by the dysfunction of the arteries, the world’s leading cause of cardiovascular diseases. We sought to determine the effectiveness of KRL in B[a]P-induced oxidative stress and programmed cell death in endothelial cells. Western blotting, real-time PCR, DCFH2-DA, and TUNEL staining were performed to detect pPI3K, pAKT, Nrf2, HO-1, NQO-1, Bcl2, Bax, and caspase-3 on the HUVECs. Through the pretreatment of KRL, a drastic enhancement was observed in the cell viability of HUVECs, whereas DNA damage and generation of reactive oxygen species induced by B[a]P was suppressed. KRL’s potential use as an antioxidant was observed to have a direct correlation with an antioxidant gene’s augmented expression and the nuclear translocation activation of Nrf2, even during the event when B[a]P was found to be absent. In addition, this study proved that the signaling cascades of PI3K/AKT mediated Nrf2 translocation. Activation of suppressed nuclear Nrf2 and reduced antioxidant genes across cells interacting with an LY294002 confirmed this phenomenon. In addition, knockdown of Nrf2 by Nrf2-siRNA transfection abolished the protective effects of KRL on HUVECs cells against oxidative damage. Finally, the expression of apoptotic proteins also supported the hypothesis that KRL may inhibit endothelial dysfunction. This study showed that KRL potentially prevents B[a]P-induced redox imbalance in the vascular endothelium by inducing the Nrf2 signaling via the PI3K/AKT pathway.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuang Li ◽  
Wenjuan Sun ◽  
Kai Zhang ◽  
Jiawei Zhu ◽  
Xueting Jia ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The immune system is one aspect of health that is affected by dietary selenium (Se) levels and selenoprotein expression. Spleen is an important immune organ of the body, which is directly involved in cellular immunity. However, there are limited reports on Se levels and spleen health. Therefore, this study established a Se-deficient pig model to investigate the mechanism of Se deficiency-induced splenic pathogenesis. Methods Twenty-four pure line castrated male Yorkshire pigs (45 days old, 12.50 ± 1.32 kg, 12 full-sibling pairs) were divided into two equal groups and fed Se-deficient diet (0.007 mg Se/kg) or Se-adequate diet (0.3 mg Se/kg) for 16 weeks. At the end of the trial, blood and spleen were collected to assay for erythroid parameters, the osmotic fragility of erythrocytes, the spleen index, histology, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, Se concentrations, the selenogenome, redox status, and signaling related inflammation and apoptosis. Results Dietary Se deficiency decreased the erythroid parameters and increased the number of osmotically fragile erythrocytes (P < 0.05). The spleen index did not change, but hematoxylin and eosin and TUNEL staining indicated that the white pulp decreased, the red pulp increased, and splenocyte apoptosis occurred in the Se deficient group. Se deficiency decreased the Se concentration and selenoprotein expression in the spleen (P < 0.05), blocked the glutathione and thioredoxin antioxidant systems, and led to redox imbalance. Se deficiency activated the NF-κB and HIF-1α transcription factors, thus increasing pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, and TNF-α), decreasing anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, IL-13, and TGF-β) and increasing expression of the downstream genes COX-2 and iNOS (P < 0.05), which in turn induced inflammation. In addition, Se-deficiency induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway, upregulated apoptotic genes (Caspase3, Caspase8, and Bak), and downregulated antiapoptotic genes (Bcl-2) (P < 0.05) at the mRNA level, thus verifying the results of TUNEL staining. Conclusions These results indicated that Se deficiency induces spleen injury through the regulation of selenoproteins, oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 6946
Author(s):  
Weishun Tian ◽  
Suyoung Heo ◽  
Dae-Woon Kim ◽  
In-Shik Kim ◽  
Dongchoon Ahn ◽  
...  

Free radical generation and oxidative stress push forward an immense influence on the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Maclura tricuspidata fruit (MT) contains many biologically active substances, including compounds with antioxidant properties. The current study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of MT fruit on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with MT, and cell damage was induced by H2O2. First, the chemical composition and free radical scavenging properties of MT were analyzed. MT attenuated oxidative stress-induced damage in cells based on the assessment of cell viability. The H2O2-induced toxicity caused by ROS production and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release was ameliorated by MT pretreatment. MT also promoted an increase in the expression of genes encoding the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). MT pretreatment was associated with an increase in the expression of neuronal genes downregulated by H2O2. Mechanistically, MT dramatically suppressed H2O2-induced Bcl-2 downregulation, Bax upregulation, apoptotic factor caspase-3 activation, Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (JNK, ERK, and p38), and Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, thereby preventing H2O2-induced neurotoxicity. These results indicate that MT has protective effects against H2O2-induced oxidative damage in SH-SY5Y cells and can be used to prevent and protect against neurodegeneration.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 800-806
Author(s):  
Alireza Gazeri ◽  
Azadeh Aminzadeh

Because of the numerous industrial applications of lead (Pb), Pb poisoning is an important public health threat in the world particularly in developing and industrialized countries. Oxidative stress is one of the important mechanisms of Pb-mediated toxicity. Deferoxamine (DFO) is an iron chelating agent that has recently shown antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects. This study investigated the protective capacity of DFO against Pb-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. We used five groups in this study: control, DFO (300 mg/kg), Pb (50 mg/kg), DFO (150 mg/kg) + Pb, DFO (300 mg/kg) + Pb. DFO was administered intraperitoneally 30 min before intraperitoneal injection of Pb for 5 days. After drug treatment, the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathione (GSH), and antioxidant enzymes were measured in serum and heart samples. The results showed that pretreatment with DFO reduced Pb-induced oxidative stress markers in serum and cardiac tissues. We found that LDH and LPO levels were significantly increased in Pb-treated rats and decreased with DFO pre-administration. Furthermore, the decreased activities of total antioxidant capacity, and GSH were observed after Pb treatment. However, DFO administration effectively prevented the Pb-induced alterations of these antioxidant enzymes activities. In conclusion, the results presented here indicate that DFO has protective effects in Pb-induced cardiotoxicity in rats, probably due to its antioxidant action and inhibition of oxidative stress.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasin Genç ◽  
Hilal Bardakci ◽  
Çiğdem Yücel ◽  
Gökçe Şeker Karatoprak ◽  
Esra Küpeli Akkol ◽  
...  

Carotenoids are natural fat-soluble pigments synthesized by plants, algae, fungi and microorganisms. They are responsible for the coloration of different photosynthetic organisms. Although they play a role in photosynthesis, they are also present in non-photosynthetic plant tissues, fungi, and bacteria. These metabolites have mainly been used in food, cosmetics, and the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to their utilization as pigmentation, they have significant therapeutically applications, such as improving immune system and preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Primarily, they have attracted attention due to their antioxidant activity. Several statistical investigations indicated an association between the use of carotenoids in diets and a decreased incidence of cancer types, suggesting the antioxidant properties of these compounds as an important factor in the scope of the studies against oxidative stress. Unusual marine environments are associated with a great chemical diversity, resulting in novel bioactive molecules. Thus, marine organisms may represent an important source of novel biologically active substances for the development of therapeutics. Marine carotenoids (astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, β-carotene, lutein but also the rare siphonaxanthin, sioxanthin, and myxol) have recently shown antioxidant properties in reducing oxidative stress markers. Numerous of bioactive compounds such as marine carotenoids have low stability, are poorly absorbed, and own very limited bioavailability. The new technique is nanoencapsulation, which can be used to preserve marine carotenoids and their original properties during processing, storage, improve their physiochemical properties and increase their health-promoting effects. This review aims to describe the role of marine carotenoids, their potential applications and different types of advanced nanoformulations preventing and treating oxidative stress related disorders.


2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (13) ◽  
pp. 1471-1485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Ibarrola ◽  
Vanessa Arrieta ◽  
Rafael Sádaba ◽  
Ernesto Martinez-Martinez ◽  
Amaia Garcia-Peña ◽  
...  

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is increased in heart failure (HF) and promotes cardiac fibrosis and inflammation. We investigated whether Gal-3 modulates oxidative stress in human cardiac fibroblasts, in experimental animal models and in human aortic stenosis (AS). Using proteomics and immunodetection approaches, we have identified that Gal-3 down-regulated the antioxidant peroxiredoxin-4 (Prx-4) in cardiac fibroblasts. In parallel, Gal-3 increased peroxide, nitrotyrosine, malondialdehyde, and N-carboxymethyl-lysine levels and decreased total antioxidant capacity. Gal-3 decreased prohibitin-2 expression without modifying other mitochondrial proteins. Prx-4 silencing increased oxidative stress markers. In Gal-3-silenced cells and in heart from Gal-3 knockout mice, Prx-4 was increased and oxidative stress markers were decreased. Pharmacological inhibition of Gal-3 with modified citrus pectin restored cardiac Prx-4 as well as prohibitin-2 levels and improved oxidative status in spontaneously hypertensive rats. In serum from 87 patients with AS, Gal-3 negatively correlated with total antioxidant capacity and positively correlated with peroxide. In myocardial biopsies from 26 AS patients, Gal-3 up-regulation paralleled a decrease in Prx-4 and in prohibitin-2. Cardiac Gal-3 inversely correlated with Prx-4 levels in myocardial biopsies. These data suggest that Gal-3 decreased Prx-4 antioxidant system in cardiac fibroblasts, increasing oxidative stress. In pathological models presenting enhanced cardiac Gal-3, the decrease in Prx-4 expression paralleled increased oxidative stress. Gal-3 blockade restored Prx-4 expression and improved oxidative stress status. In AS, circulating levels of Gal-3 could reflect oxidative stress. The alteration of the balance between antioxidant systems and reactive oxygen species production could be a new pathogenic mechanism by which Gal-3 induces cardiac damage in HF.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bai-liu Ya ◽  
Qian Liu ◽  
Hong-fang Li ◽  
Hong-ju Cheng ◽  
Ting Yu ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to investigate whether uric acid (UA) might exert neuroprotection via activating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway and regulating neurotrophic factors in the cerebral cortices after transient focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (FCI/R) in rats. UA was intravenously injected through the tail vein (16 mg/kg) 30 min after the onset of reperfusion in rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion for 2 h. Neurological deficit score was performed to analyze neurological function at 24 h after reperfusion. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dNTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were used to detect histological injury of the cerebral cortex. Malondialdehyde (MDA), the carbonyl groups, and 8-hydroxyl-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels were employed to evaluate oxidative stress. Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant protein, heme oxygenase- (HO-) 1,were detected by western blot. Nrf2 DNA-binding activity was observed using an ELISA-based measurement. Expressions of BDNF and NGF were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Our results showed that UA treatment significantly suppressed FCI/R-induced oxidative stress, accompanied by attenuating neuronal damage, which subsequently decreased the infarct volume and neurological deficit. Further, the treatment of UA activated Nrf2 signaling pathway and upregulated BDNF and NGF expression levels. Interestingly, the aforementioned effects of UA were markedly inhibited by administration of brusatol, an inhibitor of Nrf2. Taken together, the antioxidant and neuroprotective effects afforded by UA treatment involved the modulation of Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress and regulation of BDNF and NGF expression levels. Thus, UA treatment could be of interest to prevent FCI/R injury.


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