Hydrogen Sulfide Attenuates High Glucose-induced Myocardial Injury in Rat Cardiomyocytes by Suppressing Wnt/beta-catenin Pathway

Abstract

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the major heart complications of diabetic patients. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is now recognized as an important signaling molecule and has been shown to attenuate the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, the underlying mechanisms linking H₂S and the development of DCM have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we therefore sought to explore the role and mechanism of H₂S in the pathogenesis of DCM by establishing high glucose-induced injury model in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) and H9c2 cells. Using cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE) overexpression and CSE interference vectors transfection, the cell viability, cell apoptosis. and oxidative stress were determined and compared between the treatment of high glucose induction and exgenous NaHS administration. Meanwhile, the relationship between the CSE/H₂S system and Wnt/beta-catenin pathway was analyzed and discussed in the high glucose-induced cardiomyocytes. Our results indicated that H₂S played an important protective role in high glucose-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes, as shown by the decreased reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels, and the increased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. Moreover, H₂S could attenuate the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway and up-regulate the expression of haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in the diabetic myocardium cells. Together, these results demonstrated that H₂S could attenuate high glucose-induced myocardial injury in rat cardiomyocytes by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Keywords

hydrogen sulfide / Wnt/β-catenin / diabetic cardiomyopathy / high glucose

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