Baicalein Protects Cardiomyocytes Against Mitochondrial Oxidant Injury Associated with JNK Inhibition and Mitochondrial Akt Activation.

Baicalein Protects Cardiomyocytes Against Mitochondrial Oxidant Injury Associated with JNK Inhibition and Mitochondrial Akt Activation. Am J Chin Med. 2014;42(1):79-94 Authors: Huang HH, Shao ZH, Li CQ, Vanden Hoek TL, Li J Abstract Baicalein, a flavonoid derived from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, possesses cardioprotection against oxidant injury by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). Few studies investigate whether baicalein protection is mediated by attenuating mitochondrial ROS and modulating the prosurvival and proapoptotic signaling. Primary cultured chick cardiomyocytes were used to study the role of baicalein in mitochondrial superoxide [Formula: see text] generation and signaling of Akt and JNK. Cells were exposed to H 2 O 2 for 2 h and baicalein was given 2 h prior to and during 2 h of H 2 O 2 exposure. Cell viability was assessed by propidium iodide and DNA fragmentation. H 2 O 2 (500 μM) significantly induced 45.3 ± 6.2% of cell death compared to the control (p < 0.001) and resulted in DNA laddering. Baicalein (10, 25 or 50 μM) dose-dependently reduced the cell death to 38.7 ± 5.6% (p = 0.226); 31.2 ± 3.9% (p < 0.01); 30.3 ± 5.3% (p < 0.01), respectively. It also attenuated DNA laddering. Further, baicalein decreased intracellular ROS and mitochondrial [Formula: see text] generation that was confirmed by superoxide dismutase PEG-SOD and mitochondria electron transport chain complex III inhibitor stigmatellin. ...
Source: The American Journal of Chinese Medicine - Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Tags: Am J Chin Med Source Type: research