Protective effects of hydrogen sulfide against chronic alcohol intake-induced left ventricular remodeling in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the protective effects of hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) against chronic alcohol intake-induced left ventricular remodeling and explore the potential mechanisms involved.


METHODS
Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: alcohol group, NaHS group, alcohol + NaHS group, and control group. The echocardiographic and morphometric studies were performed to assess left ventricular remodeling. Oxidative stress was evaluated by detecting MDA, GSH-Px, Tot-SOD, CuZn-SOD and Mn-SOD in the supernatant. Cardiomyocyte apoptotic rate was determined by flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining. Western blotting was conducted to detect the expression of Bcl-2 family of apoptosis regulator proteins.


RESULTS
The echocardiographic and morphometric data indicated that H(2)S has protective effects against chronic alcohol intake-induced left ventricular remodeling. Our findings showed a significant increase in MDA level and decreases in GSH-Px, Tot-SOD, CuZn-SOD and Mn-SOD activities in the alcohol group compared to the control group, while in the alcohol + NaHS group, a significant decrease in MDA level and increases in GSH-Px, Tot-SOD, CuZn-SOD and Mn-SOD activities were found compared to the alcohol group. The apoptotic rate in the alcohol group was significantly higher than in the control group, whereas apoptotic rate in the alcohol + NaHS group was significantly lower than in the alcohol group. In addition, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression was upregulated and Bax expression was downregulated in the alcohol + NaHS group compared to the alcohol group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates that H(2)S protects against chronic alcohol intake-induced left ventricular remodeling via attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis.
Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, No.1055 Sanxiang Road, Suzhou 215004, China. zhou-xiang@suda.edu.cn
Xiang
X
Zhou
Xiang
X
Lu
Weiting
W
Xu
Jianchang
J
Chen
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004452:Echocardiography; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013440:Sulfides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects*
D020011:Protective Agents; D013440:Sulfides; C025451:sodium bisulfide; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide