Matrine improved the function of heart failure in rats via inhibiting apoptosis and blocking β3-adrenoreceptor/endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway

Abstract

Abstract. Matrine, an alkaloid isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Sophora flavescens AIT has exhibited a number of therapeutic effects on cardiovascular and liver diseases. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether matrine has a protective effect on heart failure in rats. Coronary artery ligation was used to induce a heart failure (CHF) model in rats. Four weeks following the procedure, the rats were treated with different doses of matrine for one month. Histopathological examination demonstrated that matrine treatment alleviated myocardial hypertrophy and cardiac fibrosis in failing hearts. Furthermore, matrine administration also inhibited the increase of plasma aspartate amino transferase, creatine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels in CHF rats. The rats with heart failure exhibited a significant reduction in ejection fraction and fractional shortening, as well as an increase in the left ventricular end systolic dimension, and matrine attenuated this decline in heart function. Further investigation demonstrated that matrine treatment also inhibited the upregulation of Bax and increase in the Bcl-2 expression in the failing hearts. Furthermore, the upregulation of β3-adrenoreceptor (AR) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase proteins following heart failure were also attenuated by matrine. In conclusion, matrine had a preventive role in heart failure in rats at least in part by inhibiting myocardial apoptosis and the β3-AR pathway.

Matrine attenuates focal cerebral ischemic injury by improving antioxidant activity and inhibiting apoptosis in mice

“…Studies have also indicated that oxymatrine exerts protective effects against myocardial ischemic injury ( 17 ), as well as against liver and intestinal I/R injury in animal models ( 18 , 19 ), and that exerts neuroprotective effects against focal cerebral ischemia through the regulation of Bcl-2/Bax expression and the inhibition of caspase-3 activation in ischemic brain tissue ( 20 , 21 ). Furthermore, it has been reported that Mat exerts protective effects against heart failure by inhibiting the upregulation of Bax, caspase-3 and increasing the expression of Bcl-2 in rats ( 22 ). However, whether Mat directly protects ischemic neurons against damage by inhibiting the overexpression of caspase-3 and modulating the Bcl-2/Bax ratio in ischemic stroke has not yet been addressed.…”

Matrine derivate MASM protects murine MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells against dexamethasone-induced apoptosis via the regulation of USP14/p53

“…Previous studies have shown the proapoptotic effects of matrine on various cancer cells by regulating caspase, Bcl-2 family proteins, or JAK2/STAT3 signaling [30][31][32][33][34]. On the contrary, matrine was found to inhibit the apoptosis of neurons [35] and cardiomyocytes [36], thus attenuating cerebral ischemic injury in a mouse model and heart failure in a rat model. Here, as a derivative of matrine, M19 dose-dependently inhibited dexamethasone-induced MC3T3-E1 cell apoptosis ( Figure 1), suggesting its role in bone growth and formation.…”

Matrine protects retinal ganglion cells from apoptosis in experimental optic neuritis

“…Matrine (MAT), a natural quinolizidine alkaloid compound extracted from the herb root of Sophorae avescens, with a molecular weight (MW) of 258.43 (C 15 H 24 N 2 O) (14)(15)(16), is known for its various effects in animal models of EAE, including protection against apoptosis, tumor and brotic tissue development, and in ammation (17). We have recently shown that MAT can ameliorate clinical signs and alleviate neuro-axonal injury in the CNS of EAE animals by regulatory T cells, reducing Th1 and Th17 cells in the CNS and periphery and increasing the number of neural protective molecules (18,19).…”