BACKGROUND As a bioactive composite extracted from American cockroach, Xinmailong injection (XML) is used for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) in China. Clinical data has provided evidence that XML has positive inotropic properties. The objective of this study was to assess the mechanisms involved in the therapeutical effect of XML on CHF. MATERIALS AND METHODS The effects of X...

BACKGROUND Doxorubicin (DOX) is an important antineoplastic agent. However, the associated cardiotoxicity, possibly mediated by the production of reactive oxygen species, has remained a significant and dose-limiting clinical problem. Our hypothesis is that the hematopoietic/megakaryocytopoietic growth factor thrombopoietin (TPO) protects against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and might involve anti...

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major component of polyphenols in green tea, has recently attracted considerable attention for its cardioprotective effects. Telomere signalling plays a role in regulating cardiomyocyte apoptosis during cardiac dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of EGCG on oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and telomere attrition in cardiom...

This study deals with the preparation and characterization of selenium incorporated guar gum nanoparticle (SGG), and its effect on H9c2 cardiomyoblast. Herein, nanoprecipitation techniques had been employed for the preparation of SGG nanoparticle. The prepared nanoparticle had been subjected to various types of analytical techniques like transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction...

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is associated with suppression of cardiac autophagy, and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) restores cardiac autophagy and prevents cardiomyopathy in diabetic mice, albeit by an unknown mechanism. We hypothesized that AMPK-induced autophagy ameliorates diabetic cardiomyopathy by inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis and examined the effects of AMPK on the int...

Reactive oxygen species (ros) control forkhead box o (foxo) transcription factors by influencing their nuclear translocation. However, knowledge of the cellular source(s) of ros involved herein remains scarce. Recently, we have shown p47phox-dependent activation of ros-producing nadph oxidase (nox) at the nuclear pore in h9c2 rat cardiomyoblasts in response to ischemia. This localizes nox perfe...

The molecular mechanisms underlying the developmental regulation of L-type voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels (VDCCs) are still unknown. In this study, we have characterized the expression patterns of skeletal (alpha(1S)) and cardiac (alpha(1C)) L-type VDCCs during cardiogenic differentiation in H9C2 cells that derived from embryonic rat heart. We report that chronic treatment of H9C2 cells with...

Arginase is upregulated in some tissues under diabetes states. Arginase can compete with nitroxide synthase (NOS) for the common substrate L-arginine and thus increases oxidative stress by NOS uncoupling. We want to analyze whether arginase is upregulated and contribute to oxidative stress in H9c2 cells during high glucose treatment. H9c2 cells were cultured in normal or high glucose DMEM. Argi...

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is an important survival growth factor that has been shown to inhibit apoptosis, but the effects of IGF-I on apoptotic signaling remain largely unknown. To investigate IGF-I actions on apoptosis of H9C2 cardiac muscle cells, we have defined the effects of IGF-I on Bcl-2, Bax, caspase 3, DNA fragmentation, and cell survival. The abundance of Bcl-2 and Bax was...

Shakuyakukanzoto (shao-yao-gan-cao-tang) is a commonly used Chinese traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of acute pain with muscle cramp. However, its mechanism of action is unclear. We previously reported that a low concentration of Kanzo (licorice) and isoliquiritigenin, a component of licorice, inhibited the potassium (K(+)) current in H9c2 cells. Therefore, in the present study, we...