Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Biosafety Research Institute and Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018 Feb 25;2018:3016382. doi: 10.1155/2018/3016382. eCollection 2018.
Cucurbitacin I, a triterpenoid natural compound, exhibits various pharmacological properties, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective properties. However, antioxidant effects of cucurbitacin I in cardiac cells are currently unknown. In the present study, we assessed the preventive effects of cucurbitacin I against the oxidative stress in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. To evaluate antioxidant effects of cucurbitacin I in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts, HO-treated H9c2 cells were pretreated with various concentrations of the cucurbitacin I. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and apoptosis were determined to elucidate the protective effects of cucurbitacin I against HO-induced oxidative stress in H9c2 cells. In addition, we assessed the mitochondrial functions and protein expression levels of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Cucurbitacin I prevented the cells against cell death and ROS production and elevated the antioxidant protein levels upon oxidative stress. Furthermore, cucurbitacin I preserved the mitochondrial functions and inhibited the apoptotic responses in HO-treated cells. Cucurbitacin I also suppressed the activation of MAPK proteins (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38). Collectively, cucurbitacin I potentially protects the H9c2 cardiomyoblasts against oxidative stress and further suggests that it can be utilized as a therapeutic agent for the prevention of oxidative stress in cardiac injury.
葫芦素 I 是一种三萜类天然化合物，具有多种药理活性，包括抗癌、抗炎和保肝作用。然而，葫芦素 I 对心肌细胞的抗氧化作用尚不清楚。本研究评估了葫芦素 I 对 H9c2 心肌细胞氧化应激的预防作用。为了评估葫芦素 I 在 H9c2 心肌细胞中的抗氧化作用，用不同浓度的葫芦素 I 预处理 HO 处理的 H9c2 细胞。测定细胞活力、活性氧（ROS）产生和细胞凋亡，以阐明葫芦素 I 对 H9c2 细胞中 HO 诱导的氧化应激的保护作用。此外，我们评估了线粒体功能和丝裂原活化蛋白激酶（MAPKs）的蛋白表达水平。葫芦素 I 可防止细胞死亡和 ROS 产生，并在氧化应激时提高抗氧化蛋白水平。此外，葫芦素 I 还可维持线粒体功能并抑制 HO 处理细胞中的凋亡反应。葫芦素 I 还抑制 MAPK 蛋白（细胞外信号调节激酶 1/2、c-Jun N 末端激酶和 p38）的激活。综上所述，葫芦素 I 可能对 H9c2 心肌细胞具有抗氧化应激作用，并进一步表明它可用作预防心脏损伤中氧化应激的治疗剂。
