Liraglutide directly protects cardiomyocytes against reperfusion injury possibly via modulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Liraglutide is glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist for treating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that liraglutide protects cardiac function through improving endothelial function in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The present study will investigate whether liraglutide can perform direct protective effects on cardiomyocytes against reperfusion injury. METHODS: experiments, myocardial apoptosis and expression of SERCA2a were detected by colorimetric TUNEL and by immunofluorescence staining, respectively. RESULTS: overload and improved calcium transient compared with H/R group. Immunofluorescence staining results showed liraglutide promoted SERCA2a expression which was decreased in H/R group. In ischemia/reperfusion rat hearts, apoptosis was significantly attenuated and SERCA2a expression was increased by liraglutide compared with H/R group. CONCLUSIONS: Liraglutide can directly protect cardiomyocytes against reperfusion injury which is possibly through modulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis.