Urotensin-ⅡReceptor Antagonist SB-710411 Protects Rat Heart against Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via RhoA/ROCK Pathway

AIM: SB-710411 is a rat selective urotensin-II (U-II) receptor antagonist, which can block U-II-induced contraction of the aorta and inhibit U-II-induced myocardial fibrosis in rats. However, the effect of SB-710411 on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is unclear. The present study was designed to investigate whether SB-710411 has a protective effect on myocardial I/R injury in rats and the possible mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: Myocardial I/R injury was induced by occluding the left anterior descending coronary artery in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Hemodynamic parameters, electrocardiogram (ECG), infarct size, histological alteration, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase-MB (CK-MB), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), RhoA, and the protein expressions of U-II receptor (UTR), ROCK1 and ROCK2 were evaluated. Cardiac I/R injury significantly up-regulated the expressions of UTR, ROCK1 and ROCK2 proteins in rat myocardium. SB-710411 1.0 and 2.0 μg/kg significantly reduced cardiac I/R-induced the infarct size and histological damage in rat myocardium, markedly inhibited the changes of hemodynamic parameters and the increases of ST-segment in ECG, the serum LDH and CK-MB activities and cTnI level in rats subjected to myocardial I/R injury. Furthermore, SB-710411 obviously prevented myocardial I/R-increased RhoA activity and UTR, ROCK1 and ROCK2 protein expressions. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that cardiac I/R injury increases myocardial UTR expression, and SB-710411 has a potent protective effect on myocardial I/R injury in rats. The cardioprotection may be associated with the inhibition of UTR-RhoA/ROCK pathway.