Tongxinluo decreases apoptosis of mesenchymal stem cells concentration-dependently under hypoxia and serum deprivation conditions through the AMPK/eNOS pathway.

Tongxinluo (TXL), a traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China. Our previous study has demonstrated the pro-survival role of TXL on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vivo. But whether TXL could decrease apoptosis of MSCs in vitro, and the underlying mechanism are still unknown. Moreover, AMPK/eNOS pathway is crucial in regulating cell apoptosis. Therefore, we designed the study to investigate whether TXL could decrease MSCs apoptosis under hypoxia and serum deprivation (H/SD) conditions and to determine the role of AMPK/eNOS pathway. To test the hypothesis, MSCs were treated with TXL (50-400 μg/mL) under H/SD for 6 hours. For inhibitor studies, the cells were preincubated with AMPK inhibitor compound C. Results indicated that TXL decreased MSCs apoptosis concentration-dependently evidenced by reduced Annexin V+/PI- cells and increased red/green ratio of JC-1. Further, TXL enhanced the phosphorylation of AMPK and eNOS. Whereas, treatment with compound C decreased the phosphorylation of AMPK and eNOS and was accompanied by attenuated anti-apoptotic effect of TXL. In conclusion, TXL protected MSCs against H/SD-induced injury at least in part through the AMPK/eNOS pathway, which provides a novel explanation for the multi-effect of TXL on cardiovascular system.