Apelin-12 and its structural analog enhance antioxidant defense in experimental myocardial ischemia and reperfusion

This study investigated the effects of peptide apelin-12 (H-Arg-Pro-Arg-Leu-Ser-His-Lys-Gly-Pro-Met-Pro-Phe-OH, A12) and its novel structural analog (H-(N(α)Me)Arg-Pro-Arg-Leu-Ser-His-Lys-Gly-Pro-Nle-Pro-Phe-OH, AI) on myocardial antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation, and reactive oxygen species formation in ex vivo and in vivo models of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Isolated working rat hearts were subjected to global ischemia and reperfusion. Infusion of 140 μM A12 or AI before global ischemia improved cardiac function recovery; increased the activity of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px); decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content in reperfused heart; and reduced the formation of hydroxyl radical adduct of the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide in the myocardial effluent during early reperfusion compared with these indices in control. Anesthetized open-chest rats were subjected to the left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and coronary reperfusion. Peptide A12 or its analog AI was injected intravenously at the onset of reperfusion at a dose of 0.35 μmol/kg. Treatment with A12 or AI significantly limited infarct size and reduced the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme in blood plasma at the end of reperfusion compared with control. These effects were accompanied by complete recovery of Cu,Zn SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px activities; and decrease in MDA content in the area at risk by the end of reperfusion. The study concluded that C-terminal fragment of native peptide apelin-12 and its synthesized analog is involved in the upregulation of cardiac antioxidant defense systems and attenuation of lipid peroxidation in myocardial I/R injury.