Apigenin can protect cardiomyocytes

Protective Effect of Apigenin on Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury of the Isolated Rat
Heart.

Apigenin can protect cardiomyocytes from I-/R-induced injury, at least partially, through the inhibition of p38 MAPKS signaling pathway.

Cardiovasc Toxicol. 2014 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print]

Hu J(1), Li Z, Xu LT, Sun AJ, Fu XY, Zhang L, Jing LL, Lu AD, Dong YF, Jia ZP.



Author information:

(1)Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Lanzhou Command, PLA, Lanzhou,
730050, China, hujinglzbx@163.com.

Apigenin (Api), a mainly bioactive component of Apium graveolens L. var. dulce
DC. (a traditional Chinese medicinal herb), possesses a wide range of biological
activities, including antioxidant effects. It also has been shown to associate
with lower prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, but its mechanisms of action
remain unclear. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of Api in
isolated rat heart model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Langendorff-perfused
isolated rat hearts were used in our study. Api was added to the perfusate before
ischemia and during reperfusion in the isolated pulsed rat heart exposed to
30-min ischemia followed by 50-min reperfusion. The treatment with Api conferred
a cardioprotective effect, and the treated hearts demonstrated an improved
ischemic cardiac functional recovery, a decreased myocardial infarct size, a
reduced activities of creatine kinase isoenzyme and lactate dehydrogenase in the
coronary flow, a reduced number of apoptotic cardiomyocytes, a reduced activity
of caspase-3, up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and
down-regulation of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax. In addition, Api inhibited the
phosphorylation of p38 MAPKS during I/R. In conclusion, these observations
provide preliminary evidence that Api can protect cardiomyocytes from
I-/R-induced injury, at least partially, through the inhibition of p38 MAPKS
signaling pathway.

Hu J, Li Z, Xu LT, Sun AJ, Fu XY, Zhang L, Jing LL, Lu AD, Dong YF, Jia ZP.
Protective Effect of Apigenin on Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury of the Isolated Rat
Heart. Cardiovasc Toxicol. 2014 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID:
25377428.