Sophocarpine alleviates doxorubicin-induced heart injury by suppressing oxidative stress and apoptosis

Figures

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  Figure 1. (A) An protocol of animal treatments in this study (n = 6). (B) The echocardiography was performed to evaluate cardiac function of the mice (n = 6). (C) and (D) the ejection fraction (%) and the fractional shortening (%) of left ventricle were acquired by automatic calculations mode (n = 6). (E–G) the serum levels of heart injury biomarkers (creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB)) were detected (n = 6). NS means no statistically significant; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001. Data represent the mean ± SD of at least 3 times of separate experiments.

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  Figure 2. (A) DHE staining assay was conducted for evaluating oxidative stress level in heart tissues (n = 6). (B–D) Certain kits were applied to detect the serum levels of MDA, SOD and GSH (n = 6). (E–G) The protein expression levels of pro-oxidant and anti-oxidant proteins, NOX-4 and SOD-2, were detected by western blotting assay (n = 6). (E,H,I) The protein expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were also detected by western blotting assay (n = 6). NS means no statistically significant; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001. Data represent the mean ± SD of at least 3 times of separate experiments.

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  Figure 3. (A) and (B) TUNEL staining assay was conducted for evaluating apoptotic degree in heart tissues (n = 6). (C,D,F,G) The protein expression level of pro-apoptosis proteins, Bax, cleaved-caspase 3 and Cyto-C, were detected by western blotting assay (n = 6). (C) and (E), the protein expression levels of anti-apoptosis protein, like Bcl-2, was explored by western blotting assay (n = 6). *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001. Data represent the mean ± SD of at least 3 times of separate experiments.

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  Figure 4. (A) and (B), ROS kit was used to evaluate oxidative stress level in H9C2 cells (n = 6). (C) and (D), the protein expression levels of pro-oxidant protein, NOX-4, was detected by western blotting assay (n = 6). (C) and (E), the protein expression levels of anti-oxidant protein, SOD-2, was detected by western blotting assay (n = 6). (C,F,G), the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were also detected by western blotting assay (n = 6). NS means no statistically significant; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001. Data represent the mean ± SD of at least 3 times of separate experiments.

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  Figure 5. (A,B,D,E) the protein expression levels of pro-apoptosis proteins, like Bax, cleaved-caspase 3 and Cyto-C, were explored by western blotting assay in H9C2 cells (n = 6). (A) and (C), the protein expression level of anti-apoptosis protein, like Bcl-2, was also detected by western blotting assay (n = 6). NS means no statistically significant; *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01. Data represent the mean ± SD of at least 3 times of separate experiments.

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  Figure 6. Graphical depiction of sophocarpine treatment effect on DOX induced heart injury.