title: Liquiritigenin attenuates cardiac injury induced by high fructose-feeding through fibrosis and inflammation suppression.
abstract: Diabetes combined with cardiomyopathy is considered as an essential complication, showing diastolic persistently and causing cardiac injury, which is linked to fibrosis progression and inflammation response. Fibrosis and inflammation response are two markers for cardiomyopathy. Liquiritigenin is a flavanone, isolated from Radix glycyrrhiza, which exhibits various biological properties, including anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Here, in our study, the protective effects and anti-inflammatory activity of liquiritigenin were explored in mice and cardiac muscle cells treated by fructose to reveal the possible mechanism by which liquiritigenin attenuates cardiac injury. The mice were separated into five groups. The diabetic model of mouse was established with 30% high fructose feeding. Liquiritigenin dramatically reduced the lipid accumulation induced by high fructose diet. Compared to mice only treated with high fructose, mice in the presence of liquiritigenin after fructose feeding developed less cardiac fibrosis with lower levels of alpha smooth muscle-actin (α-SMA), Collagen type I, Collagen type II, TGF-β1 and Procol1a1. Additionally, liquiritigenin markedly down-regulated inflammatory cytokines secretion and phosphorylated NF-κB via inhibiting IKKα/IκBα signaling pathway. Our results indicate that liquiritigenin has a protective role in high fructose feeding-triggered cardiac injury through fibrosis and inflammation response suppression by inactivating NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, liquiritigenin may be a potential candidate for diabetes-associated cardiac injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Huai'an First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an 223300, China. Electronic address: xie_xiongwei@126.com.
authors.forename: Xiong-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D044950:Flavanones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005632:Fructose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D024042:Collagen Type I; D024043:Collagen Type II; D044950:Flavanones; D016328:NF-kappa B; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C544013:alpha-smooth muscle actin, mouse; D005632:Fructose; C083152:liquiritigenin; C028610:flavanone
keywords: Cardiac injury; Fibrosis; Fructose; Inflammation; Liquiritigenin