Loganin is an iridoid glycoside extracted from Cornus officinalis, which is a traditional oriental medicine, and many biological properties of loganin have been reported. Nevertheless, it is not clear whether loganin has therapeutic effect on cardiovascular diseases. Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of loganin on Ang II–induced cardiac hypertrophy. In the present study, we reported for the first time that loganin inhibits Ang II–provoked cardiac hypertrophy and cardiac damages in H9C2 cells and in mice. Furthermore, loganin can achieve cardioprotective effects through attenuating cardiac fibrosis, decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, and suppressing the phosphorylation of critical proteins such as JAK2, STAT3, p65, and IκBα. Besides, the outstanding findings of the present study were to prove that loganin has no significant toxicity or side effects on normal cells and organs. Based on these results, we conclude that loganin mitigates Ang II–induced cardiac hypertrophy at least partially through inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathways. Accordingly, the natural product, loganin, might be a novel effective agent for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.

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The progression from compensatory hypertrophy to heart failure is difficult to reverse, in part due to extracellular matrix fibrosis and continuous activation of abnormal signaling pathways. Although the anthraquinone rhein has been examined for its many biological properties, it is not clear whether it has therapeutic value in the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. In this study, we report for the first time that rhein can ameliorate transverse aortic constriction (TAC)-induced cardiac hypertrophy and other cardiac damage in vivo and in vitro. In addition, rhein can reduce cardiac hypertrophy by attenuating atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, and β-MHC expression; cardiac fibrosis; and ERK phosphorylation and transport into the nucleus. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of rhein on myocardial hypertrophy was similar to that of specific inhibitors of STAT3 and ERK signaling. In addition, rhein at therapeutic doses had no significant adverse effects or toxicity on liver and kidney function. We conclude that rhein reduces TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy via targeted inhibition of the molecular function of ERK and downregulates STAT3 and p38 MAPK signaling. Therefore, rhein might be a novel and effective agent for treating cardiac hypertrophy and other cardiovascular diseases.

The precise control of cardiomyocyte viability is imperative to combat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R), in which apoptosis and pyroptosis putatively contribute to the process. Recent researches indicated that GSDMD is involved in I/R as an executive protein of pyroptosis. However, its effect on other forms of cell death is unclear. We identified that GSDMD and GSDMD-N levels were significantly upregulated in the I/R myocardium of mice. Knockout of GSDMD conferred the resistance of the hearts to reperfusion injury in the acute phase of I/R but aggravated reperfusion injury in the chronic phase of I/R. Mechanistically, GSDMD deficiency induced the activation of PARylation and the consumption of NAD+ and ATP, leading to cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Moreover, PJ34, a putative PARP-1 inhibitor, reduced the myocardial injury caused by GSDMD deficiency. Our results reveal a novel action modality of GSDMD in the regulation of cardiomyocyte death; inhibition of GSDMD activates PARylation, suggesting the multidirectional role of GSDMD in I/R and providing a new theory for clinical treatment.