Abstract
Increase of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) expression by digoxin
in the heart of diabetic rats has been documented. The present study investigated
the mediation of PPARδ in lipid metabolism improved by digoxin in the heart of diabetic
rats and in the hyperglycemia-treated cardiomyocytes using the primary cultured cardiomyocytes
from neonatal rat. The lipid deposition within the heart section was assessed in diabetic
rats by oil red O staining. The fatty acid oxidation genes in cardiomyocytes were
also examined. Inhibitor of calcium ions and siRNA-PPARδ were employed to investigate
the potential mechanisms. After a 20-day digoxin treatment, the PPARδ expression was
elevated in hearts of diabetic rats while the cardiac lipid deposition was reduced.
In neonatal cardiomyocytes, digoxin also caused an increase in expressions of PPARδ
and fatty acid oxidation genes. But both actions of digoxin were blocked by BAPTA-AM
to chelate calcium ions and by siRNA-PPARδ in cardiomyocytes. The obtained results
show that increase of PPARδ by digoxin is related to regulation of fatty acid oxidation
genes in cardiac cells mediated by calcium-triggered signals.
Key words
cardiomyocytes - digoxin - fatty acid oxidation genes - PPARδ - siRNA