Depressed calcium-handling proteins due to endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in the diabetic heart are attenuated by argirein.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC) is a unique disease frequently complicated to diabetes mellitus, manifesting endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and depressed calcium-handling proteins. We hypothesized that the abnormal FKBP12.6, SERCA2a, and CASQ2 are consequent to ER stress and apoptosis that are likely due to an entity of inflammation. These abnormalities may be attributed to reactive oxygen species genesis from activated NADPH oxidase which could respond to argirein (AR) through its anti-inflammatory activity. Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups. Except the normal group, rats were injected with streptozotocin (STZ; 60 mg/kg, i.p.) once. During weeks 5 to 8 following STZ injection, rats were treated (in milligrams per kilogram per day, i.g.) with aminoguanidine (AMG, 100; an inducible nitric oxide synthase and AGEs inhibitor) or three doses of AR (50, 100, and 200). FKBP12.6, SERCA2a, and CASQ2 and ER stress chaperones Bip and PERK and apoptotic molecules were monitored in vivo and in vitro. Impaired cardiac performance and downregulated FKBP12.6, SERCA2a, and CASQ2 were significant in DC in vivo, and abnormal calcium-handling proteins were also found in high-glucose-incubated myocytes in vitro. ER stress manifested by upregulated Bip and PERK was predominant in association with DNA ladder and upregulated Bax and downregulated BCL-2 in vivo and in vitro. AR is effective to attenuate these abnormalities compared to AMG. Diabetic myocardium has inflammatory entity expressed as ER stress contributing to downregulated calcium-handling proteins. AR has potential in managing DC through attenuating depressed calcium-handling proteins, activated ER stress, and apoptosis in the myocardium.