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Nuciferine reduces vascular leakage and improves cardiac function in acute myocardial infarction by regulating the

Wei Xie1,2, Shumin Chen3, Wenzhe Wang1,2

  • 1Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China.

Scientific Reports
|March 26, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Nuciferine protects against acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by preserving microvascular integrity and cardiac function. It achieves this by strengthening endothelial cell barriers and activating the PI3K/AKT pathway, crucial for cardiovascular health.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Pharmacology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Microvascular damage significantly impacts patient outcomes in acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
  • Nuciferine shows potential for cardiovascular disease treatment, but its role in AMI-related microvascular injury is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the protective effects of nuciferine on microvascular structure and function during AMI.
  • To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of nuciferine's action, focusing on the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Main Methods:

  • In vivo studies assessed cardiac function and pathology in an AMI model treated with nuciferine.
  • In vitro experiments evaluated nuciferine's effects on human coronary microvascular endothelial cells (HCMECs) under oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD).
  • Analysis included endothelial cell permeability, adherens junctions, and PI3K/AKT pathway phosphorylation, with and without PI3K inhibitors like wortmannin.

Main Results:

  • Nuciferine treatment improved cardiac function, reduced cardiomyocyte damage, and inhibited vascular leakage in vivo.
  • In vitro, nuciferine protected HCMECs from OGD-induced injury, preserving structure and function.
  • Nuciferine significantly increased PI3K/AKT pathway phosphorylation, an effect reversed by wortmannin.

Conclusions:

  • Nuciferine demonstrates a protective effect against AMI-induced microvascular injury.
  • The mechanism involves the regulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway and enhancement of endothelial barrier function.
  • Nuciferine holds promise for therapeutic intervention in acute myocardial infarction by safeguarding microvascular integrity.

Keywords:
AMIEndothelial barrierNuciferinePI3K/AKT pathway

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