Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of action of metformin (Met) to protectively against DOX-induced myocardial injury.
METHODS ①H9C2 cells were pretreated with 0.1–10 mmol·L
-1 concentration of Met,then treated with 1 μmol·L
-1 Dox for 24 h.The cell survival was detected by MTT,the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry after Annexin V-PI staining,and the intracellular ROS accumulation was examined using ROS kit;②The expression of autophagy-related proteins was detected by Western blotting to optimize the autophagy dose and concentration induced by DOX.Western blotting was also used to investigate the effects of 0.1,0.3 and 3 mmol·L
-1 Met on the regulation of DOX-activated autophagy,and 25 μmol·L
-1 AG-126 was used to investigate the role of ERK signaling pathway in regulating DOX-induced cardiomyocyte injury;③10 nmol·L
-1 Bafilomycin A1(BafA1) was used to explore the study of Met restoration of DOX blocked-autophagic flux in cardiomyocyte,and flow cytometric detection of acridine orange intracellular lysosomal pH changes.
RESULTS Exposure to 1 μmol·L
-1 DOX resulted in a significant decrease in H9C2 cell survival (
P<0.05),along with an increase in intracellular ROS accumulation (
P<0.05) and an increase in the proportion of apoptotic cells (
P<0.05),and different concentrations of Met effectively alleviated the DOX-elevated intracellular ROS and apoptotic cell ratios in H9C2 cells (
P<0.05),thereby increasing cardiomyocyte survival.The treatment of H9C2 cells with 1 μmol·L
-1 DOX for 6 h was effective in activating autophagy and damaging cardiomyocyte.As shown by AG-126 intervention,DOX-induced cardiomyocyte autophagy was associated with activation of ERK molecules,and 3 mmol·L
-1 Met could down-regulate the phosphorylation level of ERK (
P<0.05),then decreasing DOX-induced cardiomyocyte autophagy.Acridine orange staining and Western blotting results showed that DOX similarly increased intracellular lysosomal pH in H9C2 cells compared with autophagic flux blocker BafA1 used (
P<0.05),caused an abnormal cardiomyocyte autophagy and increased the degree of apoptosis.
CONCLUSION DOX damages cardiomyocyte by upregulating autophagy levels and inducing autophagy dysfunction causing apoptosis,Met downregulates ERK phosphorylation levels,alleviates DOX-damaged cardiomyocyte autophagy impairment,and protects cardiomyocyte from DOX-induced injury.