Paeoniflorin suppresses cardiomyocyte pyroptosis and ameliorates diabetic cardiomyopathy by AMPK/Nrf2/NLRP3 pathway.
Zhang H, Yang X, Wang Y, Xiao W, Zhao Y
Medicinal Plants
Humble peony plant growing in your garden may hold compounds that could one day help the millions of people with diabetes who develop serious heart complications.
Scientists tested a natural chemical found in peony plants on the hearts of diabetic mice and discovered it could shield heart muscle cells from a destructive type of cell death triggered by high blood sugar. The compound calmed down the heart's inflammatory response and prevented scarring and abnormal growth of heart tissue. The researchers traced exactly how it does this — by switching on a chain of protective signals inside cells that keep inflammation in check.
Key Findings
Paeoniflorin significantly reduced key markers of inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis) in heart cells, including NLRP3, Caspase-1, GSDMD proteins, and inflammatory signals IL-1β and IL-18
Treatment improved cardiac function and reversed abnormal changes in cardiomyocyte surface area, collagen deposition, and heart-stress proteins ANP and BNP in type I diabetic mice
The cardioprotective mechanism was linked specifically to activation of the AMPK/Nrf2/NLRP3 signaling pathway, confirmed via siRNA knockdown experiments
chevron_right Technical Summary
A compound called paeoniflorin, extracted from peony plants, was found to protect heart cells from a damaging form of inflammatory cell death in diabetic mice and lab-grown heart cells. It works by activating a key cellular pathway that reduces inflammation and improves heart function in diabetes-related heart disease.
Abstract Preview
Investigating potential pharmaceutical agents for diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) represents a crucial avenue in diabetes research. Paeoniflorin (PF), derived from plants belonging to the Paeonia gen...
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The peony or paeony is any flowering plant in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. Peonies are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America. Scientists differ on the number of species that can be distinguished, ranging from 25 to 40, although the current consensus des...