Effect of Glutamine on Caspase-3 mRNA and Protein Expression in the Myocardium of Rats With Sepsis

• Published in: The American journal of the medical sciences 2014-10, Vol.348 (4), p.315-318
• Main Authors: Yin, Hai-Yan, M.M, Zhang, Rui, M.M, Ye, Xiao-Ling, M.M, Zhu, You-Feng, M.M, Li, Wei-Jian, M.M, Wei, Jian-Rui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Caspase 3 - biosynthesis; Caspase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Caspase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Caspase-3; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Glutamine; Glutamine - pharmacology; Glutamine - therapeutic use; Internal Medicine; Key Indexing Terms; Male; Myocardial apoptosis; Myocardium - enzymology; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; RNA, Messenger - antagonists & inhibitors; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Sepsis; Sepsis - drug therapy; Sepsis - enzymology; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0002-9629; 1538-2990
• DOI: 10.1097/MAJ.0000000000000237

Abstract Apoptosis and caspase-3 play an important role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. In this study, the authors monitored myocardial apoptosis and investigated caspase-3 protein expression change in rats with sepsis. in addition, we investigated the protective effect of glutamine (Gln) on myocardial injury in septic rats. A rat model of sepsis was established by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPs). Rats were divided into control group, endotoxin (LPs) group and LPS + Gln group, which were further divided into 4 subset groups (0, 6, 12 and 24 hour subgroups; n = 6). The rate of myocardial apoptosis, caspase-3 mRNA expression and caspase-3 protein expression were examined. Data were analyzed using the F-test or linear correlation test. The results revealed that the rate of myocardial apoptosis in the LPs group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). compared with the control group, LPs group has an upregulated caspase-3 mRNA expression level. However, the caspase-3 protein was low expressed ( P < 0.05). The LPS + Gln group has significant lower myocardial apoptosis rate compared with the LPs group ( P < 0.05). In addition, caspase-3 mRNA expression levels and caspase-3 protein expression levels were lower in the LPS + Gln group ( P < 0.05). We found that Gln reduces the extent of myocardial apoptotic cell death by decreasing the gene and protein expression of caspase-3. Therefore, Gln may be used to prevent the onset of sepsis at an early stage.