Cardiovascular disease is a global health problem. Previous studies revealed that it involves acute
myocardial infarction and
ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. The mechanism of myocardial I/R injury is complex. But recognizing its mechanisms will bring important clinical significance.
Lupeol is widely found in Chinese medicinal herbs and has been shown to have a variety of bio-activities. However, the pharmacological action of
lupeol in the progress of
myocardial ischemia-
reperfusion injury (MIRI) is unclear. This study used a rat myocardial I/R model and the morphological changes in myocardium were determined by
2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The expression levels of
IL-10, IL-1[Formula: see text], TNF-[Formula: see text], and
IL-6 were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and ELISA. The expression levels of MB
isoenzyme of
creatine kinase (CK-MB),
lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level and inflammatory
cytokines were quantified using ELISA. The cellular apoptotic rate was determined by TUNEL staining. The findings showed that
lupeol significantly decreased
myocardial infarction after I/R and ameliorated I/R-induced myocardial
inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Furthermore, our results suggested that
lupeol protected against MIRI-induced
myocardial infarction through modulation of NF-[Formula: see text]B and Nrf2 signaling pathways. In summary, this study first clarified the cardioprotective effects of
lupeol against I/R-induced
myocardial infarction in rats, which could be due to its
anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activities. Our study also highlighted a mechanism of NF-[Formula: see text]B and Nrf2 signaling, through which
lupeol could be a promising agent in protecting against I/R-induced
myocardial infarction.