EFFECTS OF PUERARIA ON MYOCARDIAL HYPERTROPHY AND VENTRICULAR REMODELING INDUCED BY AAC IN RATS AND ITS POSSIBLE MECHANISM

Lugang Mei, Chengjiang Peng, Shuai Huang^*

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, PR China

Objective: To analyse the effects of puerarin (Pue) on myocardial hypertrophy and ventricular remodelling using a rat model of cardiac hypertrophy as induced by abdominal aortic stenosis (AAC) and the possible mechanics of such effects. 

Methods: The rats were randomly divided into three groups: the sham-operation group and the myocardial hypertrophy model groups, the abdominal aortic stenosis (AAC) group and the AAC plus puerarin group (AAC and the intraperitoneal injection of the puerarin, AAC+Pue) group; each group constituted five rats. The neonatal rat cardiomyocytes from each rat were isolated and cultured, before being divided into the normal control group, the angiotensin II (AngII) group, the puerarin concentration groups, the negative control group (transfected siRNA), and the siRNA-NRF2(silent NRF2)+AngII+100-μm-puerarin group. Myocardial cell area, Anp, Myh7 and mRNA expression, the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), Kelch-like epichlorohydrin associated protein-1 (Keap1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO1), glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), and NADPH quinoreductase-1 (NQO1)) were recorded for each group. 

Results: The levels of expression of Anp and Myh7 were significantly higher in the AngII group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The level of expression of Anp was significantly lower in the AngII+puerarin group than in the AngII group (P < 0.05). The level of expression of Myh7 was significantly lower in the AngII+100-μm-puerarin group than in the AngII group (P < 0.05). The level of expression of the NRF2 protein was significantly lower in the AngII group than in the normal control group; Keap1 protein expression was significantly higher than in the normal control group (P < 0.05). The level of expression of the NRF2 protein was significantly higher in the 100-μm-puerarin group than in the AngII group; 

Conclusion: The results show that puerarin can inhibit cardiac hypertrophy in rats by upregulating the expression of its own metabolic transcription factor.