Protective effects of hyperoside against H2O2-induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

The vascular endothelium is important in the physiological homeostasis of blood vessels. Increasing evidence demonstrates that oxidative stress‑induced endothelial damage is involved in the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis. Hyperoside, one of major active components from Apocynum venetum L. (Luo‑Bu‑Ma), which is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine commonly used for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, exhibits diverse bioactivities, including anti‑inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In the present study, the protective effects of hyperoside against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)‑induced apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were investigated. The results demonstrated that hyperoside significantly prevented the loss of cell viability, the increase of endothelial Ca2+ content and apoptosis in H2O2‑induced HUVECs. Additionally, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis revealed that hyperoside significantly decreased the mRNA expression levels of B‑cell lymphoma (Bcl)‑2 associated X protein (Bax), cleaved caspase‑3 and phosphorylated‑p38, while increasing the mRNA expression of Bcl‑2 in H2O2‑induced HUVECs. The present findings suggested that hyperoside has protective effects against H2O2‑induced apoptosis in HUVECs and serves a key role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.