Effect of pioglitazone on expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in myocardium of rats following I/R injury / 中华老年心脑血管病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the effect of pioglitazone,a member of the thiazolidinedione (TZD) class with hypoglycemic action to treat diabetes,on expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in myocardium of rats following I/R injury.Methods Twenty-four healthy SD rats were randomly divided into sham group,I/R injury group,pioglitazone treatment group and pioglitazone+peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-γ specific antagonist GW9662 treatment group (6 in each group).A rat I/R injury model was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery.Apoptosis of myocardial cells was assayed by Terminal dUTP deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labeling.Expression of p-p38 protein was detected by Western blot.Results The apoptosis index of myocardial cells was significantly lower in sham operation group and piogl itazone treatment group than in I/R injury group and was significantly higher in pioglitazone+ GW9662 treatment group than in pioglitazone treatment group (8.6％±4.3％,21.4％±8.8％ vs 40.1％±12.3％,P＜0.05;37.0％-10.5％ vs 21.4％±8.8％,P＜0.05).The expression level of p-p38 was significantly lower in sham operation group and pioglitazone treatment group than in I/R injury group and was significantly higher in pioglitazone+GW9662 treatment group than in pioglitazone treatment group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Pioglitazone can inhibit I/R injury-induced apoptosis of myocardial cells by downregulating the expression of p-p38 protein.