Luteolin ameliorates rat myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury through activation of peroxiredoxin II

Background and purpose: Antioxidants provide a promising therapeutic effect for the Cardiovascular Disease. Luteolin, a polyphenolic bioflavonoid, is known to confer cardioprotection, although the underlying mechanisms, especially the role of luteolin on the antioxidant Enzymes, such as the peroxiredoxin family, remain unknown.

Experimental approach: We measured the effects of luteolin on myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury in vivo (Sprague-Dawley rats) and in vitro, together with the underlying mechanisms, with a focus on signalling by peroxiredoxins. H9c2 cells were used to assess the changes in peroxiredoxins and the Other antioxidant Enzymes. Oxidative stress, cardiac function, LDH release, ROS and infarct size were also assayed.

Key results: Luteolin exerted significant cardioprotective effects in vivo and in vitro via improving cardiac function, increasing the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and decreasing the pro-apoptotic protein Bax and active caspases 3 and 9, associated with MI/R. Mechanistically, luteolin markedly enhanced expression of peroxiredoxin II, without significant effects on Other forms of peroxiredoxin, catalase or SOD1. Molecular docking showed that luteolin could indeed bind to the enzymic active pocket of peroxiredoxin II. Furthermore, down-regulation of peroxiredoxin II by peroxiredoxin II-antisense, administered by adenovirus Infection of H9c2 cardiomyocytes, and inhibition of peroxiredoxin II in vivo significantly reversed the cardioprotective effects of luteolin.

Conclusions and implications: Our findings, for the first time, demonstrate that luteolin protects against MI/R injury through promoting signalling through the endogenous antioxidant Enzyme, peroxiredoxin II, indicating the important beneficial role of this antioxidant system in the heart.