[Effect of pioglitazone on hypoxia/reoxygenation injury and protein kinase C expression in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes].

Objective: To observe the effect of pioglitazone on hypoxia/reoxygenation injury and the expression of protein kinase C (PKC) in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.

Methods: Neonatal Sprague-Dawley rat cardiomyocytes in primary culture were treated with pioglitazone or GW9662 for 24 h prior to hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was evaluated with Hoechst33258 staining and the expression of PKC was detected using Western blotting.

Results: In the early stage of hypoxia/reoxygenation injury, the apoptosis rates of the cardiomyocytes increased significantly from (0.20∓0.03)% of the control level to (12.22∓1.45)% (P<0.05). Pretreatment with pioglitazone significantly lowered the apoptosis rate of the cardiomyocytes with hypoxia/reoxygenation injury to (8.32∓0.89)%, and this effect was antagonized by GW9662, a specific blocker of peroxisome proliferators activated receptors γ (PPARγ). Pioglitazone did not cause increased expression of PKC in the cardiomyocytes.

Conclusion: Pioglitazone can ameliorate neonatal rat cardiomyocyte injury induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation partially by activating PPARγ and does not increase the expression of PKC in the cells.