High concentrations of
glucose induce cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and contribute to
diabetic cardiomyopathy. Relaxin-2 and relaxin-3 are two members of the
relaxin peptide family that are cardioprotective. However, it remains unknown whether relaxin-2 or relaxin-3 can regulate apoptosis in high
glucose treated-neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). In cultured NRVMs, 33 mmol/l high
glucose (HG) increased apoptosis in a time-dependent manner. HG-increased the
protein expression of cleaved
caspase-8 and -9, two initiators of the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of apoptosis,
Caspase-3 was attenuated by human recombinant relaxin-2 (H2
relaxin) or relaxin-3 (H3
relaxin), indicating that H2 and H3
relaxin inhibited HG-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) markers CHOP and
caspase-12 were markedly increased in HG-treated NRVMs, leading to apoptosis; this effect was also effectively attenuated by H2
relaxin or H3
relaxin. Treatment of NRVMs with HG reduced autophagy which cannot be adjusted by H2
relaxin or H3
relaxin. In conclusion, HG-induced apoptosis in NRVMs was mediated, in part, by the activation of the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of apoptosis and ERS, all inhibited by H2
relaxin or H3
relaxin.