Huang Chih-Yang, Hsu Tsai-Ching, Kuo Wei-Wen, Liou Yi-Fan, Lee Shin-Da, Ju Da-Tong, Kuo Chia-Hua, Tzang Bor-Show
Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Health and Nutrition Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Clinical Laboratory, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
PLoS One. 2015 May 18;10(5):e0127440. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127440. eCollection 2015.
The roots of the perennial herb Gentiana macrophylla Pall. (GM) are known as Qinjiao, which has been used for centuries to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, little is known about the effects of GM on cholesterol-aggravated cardiac abnormalities in SLE, and the mechanisms thereof. This study investigates whether GM exhibits anti-apoptotic effects, focusing on the left ventricle (LV) of NZB/W F1 mice fed with high-cholesterol diet. The morphology and apoptotic status of ventricular tissues were determined by microscopy and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Levels of apoptotic biomarkers were determined by immunoblotting. The results thus obtained revealed that GM significantly reduced the cholesterol-aggravated apoptosis of LV in NZB/W F1 mice by suppressing both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. Additionally, GM significantly increased the cardiac insulin-like growth factors (IGF)-1 survival signaling and anti-apoptotic proteins in LV tissues. Accordingly, GM is considered to be beneficial in alleviating cholesterol-aggravated cardiac damage in SLE, and therefore constitute an alternative treatment for SLE patients with cardiac abnormalities.
多年生草本植物大叶秦艽（Gentiana macrophylla Pall.，GM）的根被称为秦艽，几个世纪以来一直用于治疗系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）。然而，关于GM对SLE中胆固醇加重的心脏异常的影响及其机制，人们知之甚少。本研究以喂食高胆固醇饮食的NZB/W F1小鼠的左心室（LV）为重点，研究GM是否具有抗凋亡作用。通过显微镜检查和末端脱氧核苷酸转移酶dUTP缺口末端标记（TUNEL）测定法确定心室组织的形态和凋亡状态。通过免疫印迹法测定凋亡生物标志物的水平。由此获得的结果表明，GM通过抑制内源性和外源性凋亡途径，显著降低了NZB/W F1小鼠LV中胆固醇加重的细胞凋亡。此外，GM显著增加了LV组织中的心脏胰岛素样生长因子（IGF）-1存活信号和抗凋亡蛋白。因此，GM被认为有利于减轻SLE中胆固醇加重的心脏损伤，因此可作为患有心脏异常的SLE患者的替代治疗方法。
