Shengmai injection improved doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy by alleviating myocardial endoplasmic reticulum stress and caspase-12 dependent apoptosis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Apoptosis plays vital roles in the progression of doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DOX-CM). Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) could induce specific apoptosis by caspase-12 dependent pathway. Shengmai Injection (SMI), a famous Traditional Chinese Medicine, could alleviate the heart damage via inhibiting myocardial apoptosis. However, it is unknown whether SMI can alleviate ER stress and its specific apoptosis in the setting of DOX-CM.

OBJECTIVE:

To explore the effects of SMI on heart function, myocardial ER stress, and apoptosis of DOX-CM rats.

METHODS:

Rats with DOX-CM were treated by SMI. Heart function was assessed by echocardiography and brain natriuretic peptide. Myocardial apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay. ER stress was assessed by detecting the expressions of GRP78 and caspase-12.

RESULTS:

At the end of eight-week, compared to control, significant heart dysfunction happened in DOX group. The ratio of apoptotic cardiomyocytes and the expressions of GRP78 and caspase-12 increased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared to DOX group, the apoptotic ratio and the expressions of GRP78 and caspase-12 significantly decreased in DOX + SMI group (P < 0.05), accompanied with improved heart function.

CONCLUSION:

SMI could alleviate myocardial ER stress and caspase-12 dependent apoptosis, which subsequently helped to improve the heart function of rats with DOX-CM.

• Authors: Yu Chen, Yong Tang, Yin Xiang, Yu-Quan Xie, Xiao-Hong Huang, Ya-Chen Zhang
• Journal: BioMed research international (Biomed Res Int) Vol. 2015 Pg. 952671 ( 2015) ISSN: 2314-6141 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25839043 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
• Drug Combinations
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• fructus schizandrae, radix ginseng, radix ophiopogonis drug combination
• Doxorubicin
• Casp12 protein, rat
• Caspase 12

Topics

• Animals
• Antibiotics, Antineoplastic (adverse effects, pharmacology)
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Cardiomyopathies (chemically induced, drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• Caspase 12 (metabolism)
• Doxorubicin (adverse effects, pharmacology)
• Drug Combinations
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (pharmacology)
• Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress (drug effects)
• Male
• Myocardium (metabolism, pathology)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley