AUTHOR=Wu Xiaodong , Zhang Ting , Lyu Ping , Chen Mengli , Ni Gehui , Cheng Huiling , Xu Guie , Li Xinli , Wang Lijun , Shang Hongcai 

TITLE=Traditional Chinese Medication Qiliqiangxin Attenuates Diabetic Cardiomyopathy via Activating PPARγ

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.698056

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2021.698056

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy is the primary complication associated with diabetes mellitus, and also is the major cause of death and disability. Limited pharmacological therapies are available for diabetic cardiomyopathy. Qiliqiangxin (QLQX), a Chinese medication, has been proved to be beneficial to heart failure patients. However, the role and the underlying protective mechanisms of QLQX in diabetic cardiomyopathy remain largely unexplored. 
Methods: Primary neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) were treated with glucose (HG, 40mM) to establish the hyperglycemia-induced apoptosis model in vitro. Streptozotocin (STZ, 50mg/kg/d for 5 consecutive day) intraperitoneal injected into mice to establish the diabetic cardiomyopathy model in vivo. Various analysis including qRT-PCR, western blot, immunofluorescence (TUNEL staining) histology (Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’s Trichrome staining), and cardiac function (echocardiography) were performed in these mice. Qiliqiangxin (QLQX, 0.5μg/mL for in vitro and 0.5g/kg/d for in vivo) were used in this study.
Results: QLQX attenuated hyperglycemia-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis via activating PPARγ. In vivo, QLQX-treatment protected mice against streptozotocin (STZ)-induced cardiac dysfunction and pathological remodeling.