title: RhoA/ROCK pathway regulates hypoxia-induced myocardial cell apoptosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the regulatory effects of RhoA/ROCK pathway on the apoptosis of cardiac myocyte induced by anoxia and its mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  The model of cardiac myocyte anoxia was established. The beat pulsations and apoptosis rates after 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 9 h and 12 h of anoxia were recorded and the expressions of RhoA, ROCK1/2, p-PI3K, p-AKT and caspae-3 were detected, too. The apoptosis and the expressions of related proteins were detected after RNAi of RhoA and the inhibition of ROCK by Y-27632.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The beat pulsations after 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 9 h and 12 h decreased gradually but the apoptosis rates increased gradually, and the expressions of RhoA, ROCK1/2, p-PI3K, p-AKT and caspase-3 were increasing along with the increasing duration of anoxia. The apoptotic rates after 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 9 h and 12 h of anoxia were (4.360.98)%, (8.362.12)%, (15.323.62)%, (18.684.83)% and (24.566.22)%, respectively and decreased more significantly than control group in different time points of anoxia (P<0.05), and the expressions of RhoA, ROCK1/2, p-PI3K, p-AKT and caspase-3 decreased significantly (P<0.05). The apoptosis rate and the expressions of RhoA, ROCK1/2, p-PI3K, p-AKT and caspase-3 decreased significantly (P<0.05) after the inhibition of ROCK by Y-27632 (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RhoA/ROCK pathway plays a critical role in the regulation of the apoptosis of cardiac myocyte induced by anoxia, which may be accompanied by regulating the activity of PI3K/AKT/Caspase-3 pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
authors.forename: Jiang-Bin
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China. Electronic address: hyixzm@126.com.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tianyou Hospital Affiliated to Wuhan University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Luo
keywords: Anoxia; Apoptosis; Cardiac myocyte; RNA interference; ROCK; RhoA