title: Insulin prevents bone morphogenetic protein-4 induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis through activating Akt.
abstract: Bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP4) mediates pathological cardiac hypertrophy. Insulin is well-known to promote cardiomyocyte survival in heart diseases. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of insulin on BMP4-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured by using MTT, live and dead staining, caspase-3 activity assays, and the protein expressions were measured by using western blot technique. Insulin did not elicit cardiomyocyte apoptosis, but antagonized BMP4-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Insulin treatment rapidly activated Akt which was inhibited by Akt inhibitor in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, Akt inhibitor canceled the anti-apoptotic effects of insulin against BMP4 in cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, insulin prevents BMP4-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and the underlying mechanisms include activation of Akt. The present work provides a novel mechanism of the protective effects of insulin in cardiovascular system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology (The State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education), Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, PR China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology (The State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education), Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, PR China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology (The State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education), Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, PR China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology (The State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education), Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, PR China. Electronic address: dongdeli@ems.hrbmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: De-Li
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D007328:Insulin; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: Apoptosis; Bone morphogenetic protein; Cardiomyocyte; Insulin