Puerarin pretreatment inhibits myocardial apoptosis and improves cardiac function in rats after acute myocardial infarction through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Background Puerarin demonstrates a protective effect in many cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of puerarin acute myocardial infarction (AMI)-induced injury and exact molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Objectives To investigate whether pretreatment improves cardiac function to study mechanism action puerarin. Material methods Thirty rats were grouped into sham group, AMI group AMI+puerarin (PUE) at random (n = 10 per group). Except for model was established via left anterior descending artery ligation. The PUE received 120 mg/(kg × day) 7 days before operation. Echocardiography used evaluation TUNEL staining measuring apoptosis. expression levels p-PI3K, t-Akt, p-Akt, Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3 proteins measured with western blot. Results Compared demonstrated poor decreased p-Akt Bcl-2 levels, while caspase-3, apoptosis increased. showed significant improvement increased protein Bax attenuated. Conclusions can effectively improve by inhibiting this may be mediated activating PI3K/Akt pathway cardiomyocytes.