Asiatic Acid Protects against Cardiac Hypertrophy through Activating AMPKα Signalling Pathway.
AMPactivated protein kinase α (AMPKα) is closely involved in the process of cardiac hypertrophy. Asiatic acid (AA), a pentacyclic triterpene, was found to activate AMPKα in our preliminary experiment. However, its effects on the development of cardiac hypertrophy remain unclear. The present study was to determine whether AA could protect against cardiac hypertrophy.



Mice subjected to aortic banding were orally given AA (10 or 30mg/kg) for 7 weeks. In the inhibitory experiment, Compound C was intraperitoneally injected for 3 weeks after surgery.



Our results showed that AA markedly inhibited hypertrophic responses induced by pressure overload or angiotensin II. AA also suppressed cardiac fibrosis in vivo and accumulation of collagen in vitro. The protective effects of AA were mediated by activation of AMPKα and inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in vivo and in vitro. However, AA lost the protective effects after AMPKα inhibition or gene deficiency.



AA protects against cardiac hypertrophy by activating AMPKα, and has the potential to be used for the treatment of heart failure.
1. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China;; 2. Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Zhen-Guo
ZG
Ma
1. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China;; 2. Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Jia
J
Dai
1. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China;; 2. Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Wen-Ying
WY
Wei
1. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China;; 2. Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Wen-Bin
WB
Zhang
1. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China;; 2. Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Si-Chi
SC
Xu
1. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China;; 2. Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Hai-Han
HH
Liao
1. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China;; 2. Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Zheng
Z
Yang
1. Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China;; 2. Cardiovascular Research Institute of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Qi-Zhu
QZ
Tang
D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000256:Adenoviridae; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004452:Echocardiography; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; C017032:asiatic acid; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
AMPKα; Asiatic acid; Cardiac fibrosis; Cardiac hypertrophy.