Yanghao Chen1,2, Wante Lin1,2, Lingfeng Zhong1, Zimin Fang1,2, Bozhi Ye1,2, Zhe Wang3, Nipon Chattipakorn4, Weijian Huang5, Guang Liang6,7,8, Gaojun Wu9. 1. Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325035, Wenzhou, China. 2. Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325035, Wenzhou, China. 3. Department of Pharmacy, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325000, Wenzhou, China. 4. Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand. 5. Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325035, Wenzhou, China. weijianhuang69@126.com. 6. Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325035, Wenzhou, China. wzmcliangguang@163.com. 7. Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325035, Wenzhou, China. wzmcliangguang@163.com. 8. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Zhejiang, 311399, Hangzhou, China. wzmcliangguang@163.com. 9. Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, 325035, Wenzhou, China. wugaojun@wzhospital.cn.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Schisandra is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine in East Asia. As a traditional Chinese medicine derivative with Schisandra chinensis as raw material, bicyclol is well known for its significant anti-inflammatory effect. Chronic inflammation plays a significant part in obesity-induced cardiomyopathy. Our purpose was to explore the effect and mechanism of bicyclol on obesity-induced cardiomyopathy. METHODS: Mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) and cardiomyocytes stimulated by palmitic acid (PA) were used as models of obesity-related cardiomyopathy in vivo and in vitro, respectively. The therapeutic effect of bicyclol on pathological changes such as myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis was evaluated by staining cardiac tissue sections. PCR was used to detect inflammatory factors in H9c2 cells and animal heart tissue after bicyclol treatment. Then, we used western blotting to detect the expression levels of the myocardial hypertrophy related protein, myocardial fibrosis related protein, NF-κB and MAPK pathways. RESULTS: Our results indicated that bicyclol treatment significantly alleviates HFD-induced myocardial inflammation, fibrosis, and hypertrophy by inhibiting the MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Similar to animal level results, bicyclol could significantly inhibit PA-induced inflammation and prevent NF-κB and MAPK pathways from being activated. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that bicyclol has potential as a drug to treat obesity-induced cardiomyopathy.
PURPOSE: Schisandra is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine in East Asia. As a traditional Chinese medicine derivative with Schisandra chinensis as raw material, bicyclol is well known for its significant anti-inflammatory effect. Chronic inflammation plays a significant part in obesity-induced cardiomyopathy. Our purpose was to explore the effect and mechanism of bicyclol on obesity-induced cardiomyopathy. METHODS: Mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) and cardiomyocytes stimulated by palmitic acid (PA) were used as models of obesity-related cardiomyopathy in vivo and in vitro, respectively. The therapeutic effect of bicyclol on pathological changes such as myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis was evaluated by staining cardiac tissue sections. PCR was used to detect inflammatory factors in H9c2 cells and animal heart tissue after bicyclol treatment. Then, we used western blotting to detect the expression levels of the myocardial hypertrophy related protein, myocardial fibrosis related protein, NF-κB and MAPK pathways. RESULTS: Our results indicated that bicyclol treatment significantly alleviates HFD-induced myocardial inflammation, fibrosis, and hypertrophy by inhibiting the MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Similar to animal level results, bicyclol could significantly inhibit PA-induced inflammation and prevent NF-κB and MAPK pathways from being activated. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that bicyclol has potential as a drug to treat obesity-induced cardiomyopathy.