Polydatin protects against acute myocardial infarction-induced cardiac damage by activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling.

Polydatin is a traditional Chinese medicine that provides myocardial protection after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The study aim was to investigate the myocardial protection polydatin in H9c2 myocardial cells cultured in a hypoxic atmosphere and in a rat AMI model induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery and treated with polydatin 100 mg/kg/day for 30 days. The involvement of Nrf2 in mediating the effects of polydatin was investigated in H9c2 cells following Nrf2 knockdown by transfection of siRNA. Polydatin suppressed hypoxia-induced H9c2 cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by promoting Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. Nrf2 knockdown reversed the protective effects of polydatin against hypoxia-induced myocardial cell injury. The in vivo results were consistent with polydatin suppression of apoptosis and ROS generation in myocardial tissue by promotion of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. In conclusion, polydatin effectively inhibited hypoxia- and AMI-induced myocardial damage by promotion of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling.