ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the protection effects of echshinone acid (EA) on the primary cultured rat cardiomyocytes subjected to anoxia-reoxygenation (A/R) injury. METHODS: The primary cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were pretreated with EA (0.5, 5 and 50 μmol · L-1), EA (5 μmol · L-1) and L-NAME (0.1 mmol · L-1), or PD98059 (50 μmol · L-1) respectively for 1 h, and then subjected to A/R injury after 24 h. The cell viability, activities of SOD and GSH-Px, MDA contents, LDH activity in the medium and HSP70 protein expression were measured. RESULTS: Pretreatment with Ech decreased LDH activity and MDA contents, increased cell viability and SOD and GSH-Px activities in a concentration-dependent manner, and increased HSP70 protein expression. The heart protective effects of EA were partly abolished by L-NAME or PD98059. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with EA for 1h before ischemia can induce delayed cardiomyocyte protective effects by activation of NO and MAPK signaling pathways and increasing expression of HSP70 in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes.