title: Puerarin protects human umbilical vein endothelial cells against high glucose-induced apoptosis by upregulating heme oxygenase-1 and inhibiting calpain activation.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether puerarin protects against high glucose (HG)-induced apoptosis by suppressing calpain activation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs were exposed to normal glucose (NG) (5.5 mm) or HG (33 mm) for 48 h; then, apoptosis and caspase-3 activity were determined. The expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA was evaluated by RT-PCR analysis. The activation of calpain and HO activity were also assessed. Compared with the NG group, exposure of HUVECs to HG for 48 h resulted in significant increases in calpain and caspase-3 activity as well as apoptosis, which were prevented by co-incubation with puerarin (1-100 μm) in a concentration-dependent manner. HO-1 mRNA expression and HO activity were decreased in HUVECs treated with HG for 48 h. Compared with the group exposed to HG alone, co-incubation of HUVECs with puerarin and HG induced increases in HO-1 mRNA expression and HO activity. The HO-1 inhibitor protoporphyrin IX zinc (II) abolished the inhibitory effect of puerarin on HG-induced calpain and caspase-3 activation, as well as apoptosis. The data show that puerarin protects against HG-induced endothelial cell apoptosis by a mechanism involving upregulation of HO-1 expression and inhibition of calpain activity.
authors.affiliation: National Education Base for Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xin-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiang-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yue-Liang
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002154:Calpain / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000633:toxicity*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D007529:Isoflavones; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D002154:Calpain; D005947:Glucose; C033607:puerarin