Pterostilbene attenuates inflammation in rat heart subjected to ischemia-reperfusion: role of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether pterostilbene could modulate the TLR4/NF-κB signaling, reduce neutrophil accumulation and TNF-α induction in an ischemia/reperfusion injured rat heart model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were randomly exposed to sham operation, myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (MI/R), MI/R + pterostilbene, MI/R + pterostilbene + L-NAME. And myocardial infarct size, apoptosis, TLR4 expression, NF-κB expression, MPO level and TNF-α level were detected.

RESULTS: The results demonstrated that after MI/R, the expressions of myocardial TLR4, NF-κB and caspase-3 increased significantly in ischemia area. Compared with MI/R, pterostilbene significantly attenuated the expressions of TLR4, NF-κB and caspase-3. In addition, it also reduced myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels, both serum and myocardial TNF-α production, myocardial infarct sizes (INF/AAR%) and myocardial apoptosis induced by MI/R. All the effects of pterostilbene were abolished by L-NAME, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor.

CONCLUSION: These data provide evidence that pterostilbene inhibits TLR4/NF-κB signaling and apoptosis in the rat heart subjected to MI/R, which is associated with NO production.