title: 3,4,5,6-Tetrahydroxyxanthone prevents vascular endothelial cell apoptosis induced by high glucose.
abstract: Apoptosis of endothelial cells may be an important risk factor contributing to the incidence of vascular complications in diabetes. In the present study, we tested the effect of 3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone, a synthetic xanthone derivative, on apoptosis induced in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) by a high glucose concentration. Cell apoptosis was detected using DNA ladder formation and flow cytometric techniques. The expression of Bcl-2 protein was analysed using flow cytometric techniques. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) content in the medium were measured. Cell viability was assayed by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Exposure of HUVEC to a high glucose concentration (30 mM) for 48 h markedly increased LDH release and MDA content in the medium and induced apoptosis and Bcl-2 protein expression in HUVEC. Pretreatment with 3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone (1, 3 or 10 microM) or probucol (10 microM) significantly decreased the level of LDH and MDA in the medium, reduced apoptosis and increased the expression of Bcl-2 protein in HUVEC. These results suggest that 3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone inhibits high-glucose-induced endothelial cell apoptosis by increasing Bcl-2 protein expression in HUVEC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, 410078 Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Duan-Fang
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: De-Jian
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Han-Wu
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Yuan-Jian
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D044004:Xanthones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D044004:Xanthones; D005947:Glucose