Antioxidant and cardioprotective effects of Danshensu (3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxy-propanoic acid from Salvia miltiorrhiza) on isoproterenol-induced myocardial hypertrophy in rats
Introduction
Cardiovascular disease remains a major contributor to the high cause of death occurring among the population worldwide (Jay and Hassan 2006), with ∼25% of cardiovascular-related deaths due to arrhythmias. In clinical practice, most life-threatening arrhythmias occur in a diseased heart containing the structural and electrical remodeling processes that contribute to an increase in pro-arrhythmic phenotypes. The mechanisms underlying cardiac arrhythmias in a diseased heart are involved in several components, including altered ion channels in cell membranes, dissociated FKBP12.6 at the ryanodine macromolecule, and abnormal gap junction channels (Xia et al. 2006). Traditional antiarrhythmic drugs that block Na+, K+, and Ca2+ channels are unsuccessful in preventing lethal arrhythmias due to the complexity of the mechanisms underlying sudden cardiac death. Improving cardiac injury and attenuating cardiac remodeling are of utmost importance in protecting the heart. Alternative medicine is also a growing interest in the long-term prevention of heart attacks in high risk patients (Sun et al. 2005).
The preservation of cardiac electrical coupling is controlled primarily by cardiac myocyte gap junctions. Alterations in gap junction organization and connexin expression have gained wider acceptance in contributing to abnormal impulse propagation and arrhythmias in acquired adult heart disease (Imanaga, 2010, Song et al., 2009). The major cardiac gap junction subtype Cx43 is regarded as a promising target in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, and could lead to novel therapies in the future.
Danshensu (DSS), chemical name: 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxy-propanoic acid, is an active water-soluble component of the Chinese medicine Labiate plant, Salvia (Fig. 1). Previous studies have shown that DSS posses potent antioxidant activities against peroxidative damage to biomembranes (Liu et al., 2001, Xing et al., 2006). It has been shown to be useful against heart ischemia and can protect endothelial progenitor cells from oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced impairment (Wu et al., 2007, Ji et al., 2010). Our previous data suggest that DSS pretreatment can effectively inhibit I/R arrhythmias in hypertrophy-induced rats by l-thy, prevent hypertrophy progression in rats, and normalize serum NO content and eNOS activity (Le et al. 2008). To the best of our knowledge, there is no information reported on the relationship between the antiarrhythmic effects of Danshensu and cardiac gap junction regulation. Through our recent findings, we have evaluated the antiarrhythmic potential of DSS in treating isoproterenol (Iso)-induced myocardial hypertrophy in rats.
Recent reports indicate that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) have protective effects on various organs in addition to their blood pressure lowering abilities (Piechowski-Jóźwiak and Bogousslavsky, 2005, Okada et al., 2004). Experiments have demonstrated that ARB treatment resulted in improvement in myocardial function and suppressed cardiac and renal fibrosis through an antioxidative mechanism (Kobayashi et al., 2010, Arozal et al., 2009). In the present study, we used Valsartan (Val), an oral ARB, as a positive control.
Section snippets
Experimental animals
Male Sprague-Dawley rats (180–250 g) were obtained from Shanghai Sino British Sippr/BK Laboratory Animal Company (SCXK 2008-0016). The rats were acclimated for one week prior to the following experiments. Rats were maintained at 25 ± 2 °C and allowed free access to a standard laboratory diet and tap water ad libitum during the experimental period.
Medicine and agents
DSS, with a purity of more than 98%, was supplied by Nanjing Zelang Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd., and Iso was purchased from Sigma (USA). Val was
Effects of DSS on antiarrhythmias and hypertrophy
The hypertrophied heart was produced by Iso-administration in rats, evidenced by an increase in the whole heart weight index and left ventricle weight index against the control model. Compared to the hypertrophy group, heart/body weight indices were significantly reduced in the DSS and Val treatment groups (P < 0.01), compared with the control group, confirming that DSS and Val have an inhibiting effect on Iso-induced myocardial hypertrophy (Fig. 2).
An ECG was recorded during the entire
Discussion
Myocardial hypertrophy was induced using chronic β-adrenoceptor stimulation in rats, which involves many similarities with human heart failure, such as a decrease in sensitivity to catecholamines and reduced β-adrenoceptor density (Bristow et al. 1982). The chronic activation of signal transduction via β-adrenoceptors down-regulates the receptors – an uncoupling from stimulatory G-proteins, activation of β-adrenergic receptor kinase 1 (βARK1), and reduction of adenylate cyclase activity (
Acknowledgement
This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30772609).
References (21)
Pathological remodeling of cardiac gap junction connexin 43-With special reference to arrhythmogenesis
Pathophysiology
(2010)- et al.
The role of myocardial gap junctions in electrical conduction and arrhythmogenesis
Cardiovasc. Pathol.
(2001) - et al.
Role of intracellular thiol depletion, mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species in Salvia Miltiorrhiza-induced apoptosis in human hepatoma HepG2 cells
Life Sci.
(2001) - et al.
Effects of Danshensu on the incidence of ischemia–reperfusion induced arrhythmia in hypertrophy rat heart
Chin. J. Nat. Med.
(2008) - et al.
Anti-oxidative stress effects of Herba leonuri on ischemia rat hearts
Life Sci.
(2005) - et al.
Electrophysiological remodeling in heart failure
J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol.
(2010) - et al.
Protective roles of puerarin and Danshensu on acute ischemic myocardial injury in rats
Phytomedicine
(2007) - et al.
Up-regulated inflammatory factors endothelin, NFκB, TNFα and iNOS involed in exaggerated cardiac arrhythmias in l-thyroxine-induced cardiomyopathy are suppressed by darusentan in rats
Life Sci.
(2006) - et al.
Effects of angiotensin receptor blocker on oxidative stress and cardio-renal function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
Biol. Pharm. Bull.
(2009) - et al.
Decreased catecholamine sensitivity and β-adrenergic-receptor density in failing human hearts
N. Engl. J. Med.
(1982)
Cited by (88)
Effects of plant extracts and derivatives on cardiac K<sup>+</sup>, Nav, and Ca<inf>v</inf> channels: a review
2024, Natural Product ResearchChinese herbal medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases ─ Targeting cardiac ion channels
2023, Pharmacological ResearchInvestigation of the ameliorative effects of baicalin against arsenic trioxide-induced cardiac toxicity in mice
2021, International ImmunopharmacologyCitation Excerpt :CK and LDH can be used as diagnostic markers for myocardial tissue damage [34]. The myocardial cell membrane integrity is damaged or undergoes changes in its permeability, which can increase the release of these enzymes into the blood [35]. This study indicated that intraperitoneal injection of ATO caused a significant increase in CK and LDH activity in mouse serum (Fig. 4), which is consistent with our previous research [36].