Anti-apoptotic role of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in diabetic rats / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the anti-apoptotic effect of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in diabetic rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Normal male SD rats were divided into normal, diabetes and ethanol (the agonist of ALDH2) + diabetes groups. In the latter two groups, diabetes was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of 55 mg/kg STZ. Four weeks after the modeling, myocardial I/R was mimicked ex vivo, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content in the coronary flow was determined. The activities of caspase-3 and ALDH2 were evaluated, and the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax mRNA in the left anterior myocardium were detected using RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In diabetic group, LDH release and caspase-3 activity were increased, while ALDH2 activity and Bcl-2/Bax mRNA expression were decreased as compared to those in normal control group. Compared with the diabetic group, ALDH2 agonist ethanol significantly reduced LDH release and caspase-3 activity, increased ALDH2 activity and Bcl-2/Bax mRNA expression.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In diabetic rats, enhanced ALDH2 expression can offer mycardial protection possibly in relation to suppress cell apoptosis.</p>