Author/Authors :
Li, Shanshan Department of Forensic Medicine - Xuzhou Medical University - Xuzhou - Jiangsu 221002, China , Wang, Yue Department of Forensic Medicine - Xuzhou Medical University - Xuzhou - Jiangsu 221002, China , Zhao, Chunming Human anatomy and Histology and Embryology - Xuzhou Medical University - Xuzhou - Jiangsu 221002, China , Zhang, Meixiang Department of Forensic Medicine - Xuzhou Medical University - Xuzhou - Jiangsu 221002, China , Wang, Wei Department of Forensic Medicine - Xuzhou Medical University - Xuzhou - Jiangsu 221002, China , Yu, Xiaowei Department of Forensic Medicine - Xuzhou Medical University - Xuzhou - Jiangsu 221002, China , Huang, Jiao Department of Forensic Medicine - Xuzhou Medical University - Xuzhou - Jiangsu 221002, China , Wang, Zhao Department of Forensic Medicine - Xuzhou Medical University - Xuzhou - Jiangsu 221002, China , Zhu, Bo Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics - Boston University School of Medicine - Boston - Massachusetts 02118, USA , Yin, Chengqian Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics - Boston University School of Medicine - Boston - Massachusetts 02118, USA , Cai, Hongxing Department of Forensic Medicine - Xuzhou Medical University - Xuzhou - Jiangsu 221002, China
Abstract :
Objective(s): Myocarditis is characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration in myocardial stroma.
Attenuation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β is a reliable mark for improving
the prognosis. Protein kinase B (Akt) plays an important role in the development and progression
of myocarditis. The specific role of the natural inhibitor of Akt, Deguelin, on myocarditis has not
been reported. In this study, we used deguelin to investigate the effects of natural Akt inhibitor on
myocarditis in experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) rats.
Materials and Methods: EAM rat models were made by using Lewis rats and Deguelin was injected
intraperitoneally on day 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 after successful modeling. On day 18, rats were sacrificed and the
heart weight (HW)/ body weight (BW) ratio were measured. The pathological changes, pathological scores
and fibrosis area were evaluated after H.&E. and Masson’s trichrome staining. The mRNA levels of TNF-α
and IL-1β were measured by RT-qPCR, while the protein expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β were detected by
immunohistochemical staining and Western bolt. The protein expressions of Akt, Akt1, phosphorylated (p-)
Akt and nuclear factor (NF)-κB were detected by Western bolt.
Results: We found that the TNF-α and IL-1β levels, inflammatory scores and fibrosis areas were
markedly increased after 18 days deguelin administration.
Conclusion: Akt inhibition with deguelin may aggravate myocarditis of EAM rats.
Keywords :
Akt , Deguelin , Fibrosis , Inflammation , Myocarditis
