Volume 37, Issue 7 e23366
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Gentiopicroside enhances the protective effect of trimetazidine against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via the AMPK/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling

Yu Wang

Yu Wang

Department of Cardiology, Yiwu Central Hospital, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China

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Yao Sheng

Yao Sheng

Department of Cardiology, Yiwu Central Hospital, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China

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Ningning Ji

Ningning Ji

Department of Cardiology, Yiwu Central Hospital, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China

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Hui Zhang

Corresponding Author

Hui Zhang

Department of Cardiology, Yiwu Central Hospital, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China

Correspondence Hui Zhang, Department of Cardiology, Yiwu Central Hospital, No. 699 Jiangdong Middle Rd, Yiwu, Zhejiang 322000, China.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 17 April 2023
Citations: 2

Abstract

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MI/R) leads to the inevitable clinical consequences of myocardial infarction and subsequent heart failure. Trimetazidine (TMZ), an anti-ischemic agent, exerts protective potential in MI/R but had limited efficacy for some patients. Here we sought to investigate the single and combined application of gentiopicroside (GPS) and TMZ in MI/R. Notably, GPS had little cytotoxicity to cardiomyocytes. GPS attenuated hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cell death, reactive oxygen species production, lactate dehydrogenase and malondialdehyde releases, and antioxidant stress enzyme superoxide dismutase activity, indicating the protective efficacy of GPS against H/R-induced oxidative injury. Importantly, GPS enhanced the protective efficacy of TMZ against H/R-mediated cardiomyocyte injury. Additionally, GPS mitigated the transcription and releases of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in H/R-treated cardiomyocytes, which were enhanced after co-treatment with TMZ. Mechanistically, GPS activated the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling to inhibit H/R-induced NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, which was further enhanced after costimulation with TMZ. Importantly, blocking the AMPK signaling reversed the protective roles of GPS and its combination with TMZ in H/R-induced oxidative insult and inflammation. In vivo, both GPS and TMZ alleviated the abnormal cardiac structure, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and cardiac dysfunction in MI/R rats, which were further enhanced after administration with GPS and TMZ together. Furthermore, GPS intensified TMZ-mediated inhibition of oxidative injury, inflammation, and the AMPK/NLRP3 signaling in MI/R rats. Collectively, GPS enhances the protective efficacy of TMZ against MI/R injury through AMPK activation-mediated inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, implying a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of MI/R.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

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