title: Protective effect of allicin on high glucose/hypoxia-induced aortic endothelial cells via reduction of oxidative stress.
abstract: This study was designed to explore the protective effect of allicin on aortic endothelial cell injury induced by high glucose/hypoxia and to investigate the corresponding mechanisms. The primary-cultured murine aortic endothelial cells were subcultured. The third passage of cells was adopted and randomly divided into five groups: The normal group (NG), the mannitol group (MG), the high-glucose/hypoxia group (HG), the allicin group (AG) and the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor group (GG). The general morphology was observed under an inverted phase-contrast microscope and cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the endothelial cells were quantified using dihydroethidium staining. The levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and the activity of PKC were measured using ELISA. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was adopted to evaluate the mRNA expression of Nox4, HIF-1α and NF-κB. The altered cell morphology observed in HG was notably ameliorated in the AG and GG. The protein levels of 8-OHdG, NF-κB, Nox4, HIF-1α and PKC in the HG were higher than those in the other groups. Furthermore, the cell viability in the AG was significantly increased and the protein levels of 8-OHdG, NF-κB, Nox4, HIF-1α and PKC were significantly decreased compared with those in the HG. The ROS production was found to be increased in the HG cells, while there was a significant decrease in the AG cells. These data indicate that allicin exerts a protective effect against high glucose/hypoxia-induced injury in aortic endothelial cells through its antioxidative action, which may involve the inhibition of the PKC pathway and regulation of HIF-1α.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China ; Department of Geriatrics, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, Shandong 276003, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shu-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: DE-Shan
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China ; Shandong University School of Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Er-Shun
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yan-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yu-Zhao
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
keywords: 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine; NADPH oxidase 4; allicin; hypoxia-inducible factor-1α; oxidative stress