Page 46 - GPD-2-2

Gene & Protein in Disease

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Effect of Dunaliella salina on myocardial

ischemia-reperfusion injury through KEAP1/
NRF2 pathway activation and JAK2/STAT3

pathway inhibition

Jingjing Song , Hongchao Li , Yiru Zhang, Tingting Wang, Yibo Dong,
†
†
Hanqi Shui, and Jingxia Du*
School of Basic Medical, Henan University of Science and Technology, 263, Kaiyuan Avenue,
Luoyang 471023, China

Abstract

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) is a life-threatening vascular emergency,
in which oxidative stress and excessive inflammation reactions play significant roles.
Dunaliella salina is rich in natural beta (β)-carotene, which is considered an antioxidant
and anti-cancer compound, preventing night blindness, delaying aging, and regulating
immunity. Due to its unique nutritional and functional components, D. salina has
the potential to be developed as a nutritional health food. At present, it is unknown
whether D. salina can rescue MIRI. The present study aimed at investigating whether
D. salina has protective effect on MIRI and at exploring its potential mechanism. We
† These authors contribute equally to developed a Langendorff perfused heart model in mice. The mice were given D. salina
this work. by gavage at a dose of 500 mg/kg for 7 days consecutively. It was found that D. salina
*Corresponding author: could improve left ventricle function and reduce the rate of malignant arrhythmia
Jingxia Du and infarct size (P < 0.01). Furthermore, D. salina administration increased superoxide
(dujingxia2005@163.com) dismutase and decreased malondialdehyde content in myocardial tissue (P < 0.01).
Citation: Song J, Li H, Zhang Y, Importantly, real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot results showed
et al., 2023, Effect of Dunaliella that D. salina caused nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) activation and
salina on myocardial ischemia-
reperfusion injury through KEAP1/ enhanced the expression of antioxidative genes, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)
NRF2 pathway activation and JAK2/ and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively).
STAT3 pathway inhibition. Gene At the same time, the phosphorylation of Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducer and
Protein Dis, 2(2):387.
https://doi.org/10.36922/gpd.387 activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was inhibited (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively),
and proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-6 decreased with
Received: February 20, 2023 D. salina administration (P < 0.05). In conclusion, D. salina has a protective effect
Accepted: April 13, 2023
Published Online: April 26, 2023 on MIRI, which may be mediated by promoting kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1
(KEAP1)/NRF2 pathway and inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Keywords: Dunaliella salina; Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury; KEAP1/NRF2;
License, permitting distribution, and JAK2/STAT3
reproduction in any medium, which
provided that the original work is
properly cited.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience 1. Introduction
Publishing remains neutral with
regard to jurisdictional claims in Ischemic cardiomyopathy is a special type or the late stage of coronary heart disease.
published maps and institutional
affiliations. With the increasing incidence of coronary heart disease, the threat from ischemic

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2023) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/gpd.387