Shengjie Tongyu Decoction Regulates Cardiomyocyte Autophagy Through Modulating ROS-PI3K/Akt/mTOR Axis by LncRNA H19 in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy.

CONTEXT

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is particularly dangerous in diabetes mellitus (DM). The Shengjie Tongyu decoction (SJTYD) is a well-known, traditional Chinese medicinal formulation that practitioners use to treat myocardial diseases in China; however, its role in DCM remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

The study intended to investigate: (1) SJTYD's role in the treatment of DCM and its underlying mechanisms, (2) the association of autophagy with DCM, and (3) the involvement of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in the regulation of DCM.

DESIGN

The research team performed an animal study.

SETTING

The study took place in the Department of Endocrinology in the No. 2 ward-Traditional and Complementary Medicine(TCM) of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, China.

ANIMALS

The animals were 60 C57/BL6 mice weighing 200-250 g.

INTERVENTION

To determine the role of SJTYD in treating DCM, the research team established a mouse model of DM using streptozotocin (STZ). The team randomly divided the mice into three groups with 20 mice each: (1) a negative control group, which didn't receive injections of STZ or treatment with SJTYD; (2) a model group, the Model group, which received injections of STZ but didn't receive treatment with SJTYD; and (3) an SJTYD group, which received injections of STZ and treatment with SJTYD.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The research team: (1) conducted a differential analysis to identify the differentially expressed genes; (2) performed deep sequencing of the long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) expressed in cardiomyocytes from the control, Model, and SJTYD groups ; (3) performed a bioinformatics analysis; (4) used the ultrasonic and pathological, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) test as well as a Western blot to evaluate cardiac function, myocardial-injury areas, and autophagy in vivo; (5) transfected primary cardiomyocytes treated them with lncRNA H19 and SJTY 3-MA to establish SJTYD subgroups in which the H19 protected against DCM and the 3-MA inhibited autophagy; and (6) carried out immunofluorescence staining and Western blot to test the phosphorylated levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase B (AKT)/ mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) as well as autophagy levels in vitro.

RESULTS

The bioinformatics analysis indicated that SJTYD significantly modulated lncRNA H19 as well as the mTOR pathway. The vevo2100's results indicated the SJTYD reversed the cardiac-dysfunction parameters in DCM. The Masson' staining, TEM, and Western blot demonstrated that the SJTYD could suppress the myocardial-injury areas as well as the numbers of autophagosomes and the expression proteins of autophagy in vivo. The SJTYD promoted the phosphorylated-levels of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR and decreased the levels of autophagy proteins. LC3A-II and Beclin-1; lncRNA H19 amplified the SJTYD's role; and 3-MA reversed those effects, as tested using immunofluorescence and Western blot in primary cardiomyocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

The SJTYD can protect against diabetic myocardial injury by inhibiting cardiomyocyte autophagy through the activation of lncRNA H19, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. SJTYD may be an effective strategy to ameliorate diabetic myocardial injuries.