Main Article Content

Astaxanthin protects against diabetic cardiomyopathy via activation of Akt pathway in H9c2 cells


Yanyan Hu
Lin Shen
Li Li
Man Li
Wenbin Yin
Wei Liu
Jian Zhang

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the cardioprotective action of astaxanthin, and to elucidate its underlying mechanism of action in H9c2 cells.

Methods: Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated using 2, 7-dichlorodihydro-fluorescein diacetate (H2DCFDA) staining. Cell apoptosis were assessed by determining caspase activities using colorimetric assay. The apoptotic cells were labelled with annexin V/PI staining and quantified by flow cytometry. Involvement of Akt signaling pathway was verified using western blot.

Results: The results revealed that astaxanthin (5 and 10 μM) dose-dependently reversed high glucoseinduced cell viability loss in H9c2 cells (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). Astaxanthin inhibited intracellular ROS production, decreased caspase 3 and caspase 9 activities in high glucose-challenged H9c2 cells in a concentration-related manner (p < 0.05). Besides, astaxanthin markedly inhibited the number of apoptotic H9c2 cells induced by high glucose. Furthermore, western blot analysis demonstrated that astaxanthin upregulated the activation of Akt signaling.

Conclusion: Astaxanthin may protect high glucose induced diabetic cardiomyopathy via activation of Akt pathway, and thus deserves further investigation as a cardioprotective agent.

Keywords: Astaxanthin, Diabetic cardiomyopathy, Cardiomyocyte, Apoptosis, Akt pathway

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996