Autophagy induced by purple <Emphasis Type="Italic">pitanga</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eugenia uniflora</Emphasis> L.) extract triggered a cooperative effect on inducing the hepatic stellate cell death

Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are the major source of collagen I in liver fibrosis. Eugenia uniflora L. is a tree species that is widely distributed in South America. E. uniflora L. fruit—popularly known as pitanga—has been shown to exert beneficial properties. Autophagy contributes to the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and survival under stress situation, but it has also been suggested to be an alternative cell death pathway. Mitochondria play a pivotal role on signaling cell death. Mitophagy of damaged mitochondria is an important cell defense mechanism against organelle-mediated cell death signaling. We previously found that purple pitanga extract induced mitochondrial dysfunction, cell cycle arrest, and death by apoptosis and necrosis in GRX cells, a well-established activated HSC line. We evaluated the effects of 72-h treatment with crescent concentrations of purple pitanga extract (5 to 100 μg/mL) on triggering autophagy in GRX cells, as this is an important mechanism to cells under cytotoxic conditions. We found that all treated cells presented an increase in the mRNA expression of autophagy-related protein 7 (ATG7). Concomitantly, flow cytometry and ultrastructural analysis of treated cells revealed an increase of autophagosomes/autolysosomes that consequentially led to an increased mitophagy. As purple pitanga extract was previously found to be broadly cytotoxic to GRX cells, we postulated that autophagy contributes to this scenario, where cell death seems to be an inevitable fate. Altogether, the effectiveness on inducing activated HSC death can make purple pitanga extract a good candidate on treating liver fibrosis.     

Antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of purple pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.) extract on activated hepatic stellate cells

The presence of phenolic compounds in fruit‐ and vegetable‐rich diets has attracted researchers' attention due to their health‐promoting effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of purple pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.) extract on cell proliferation, viability, mitochondrial membrane potential, cell death and cell cycle in murine activated hepatic stellate cells (GRX). Cell viability by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was significantly decreased on cells treated with 50 and 100 µg ml^?1 of purple pitanga extract for 48 and 72 h, and the percentage of dead cell stained with 7‐amino‐actinomycin D was significantly higher in treated cells. The reduction of cell proliferation was dose dependent, and we also observed alterations on cell cycle progression. At all times studied, GRX cells treated with 50 and 100 µg ml^?1 of purple pitanga showed a significant reduction in cellular mitochondrial content as well as a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, our results indicated that purple pitanga extract induces early and late apoptosis/necrosis and necrotic death in GRX cells. This is the first report describing the antiproliferative, cytotoxic and apoptotic activity for E. uniflora fruits in hepatic stellate cells. The present study provides a foundation for the prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis, and more studies will be carried to elucidate this effect. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Apigetrin induces extrinsic apoptosis,autophagy and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in AGS human gastric cancer cell

Apigetrin is a flavonoid glycoside phytonutrient derived from fruits and vegetables that is well known for a variety of biological activities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In the current study, we determined the effect of apigetrin on AGS gastric cancer cell. Apigetrin reduced cancer cell proliferation and induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest by regulating cyclin B1, cdc25c and cdk1 protein expression in AGS cell. Apigetrin treatment caused apoptotic cell death in AGS cells, characterized by the accumulation of apoptosis portion, cleavage of caspase-3 and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Apigetrin-treated cells increased the expression of extrinsic apoptosis pathway proteins and mRNA. However, intrinsic apoptosis pathway related proteins were not altered. In addition, AGS cells treated with apigetrin increased autophagic cell death, featured by the formation of autophagic vacuole and acidic vesicular organelles. Autophagy marker proteins, such as LC3B-II and beclin-1, were increased, and p62, an autophagy flux marker protein, was also increased by endoplasmic reticulum stress. Also, the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway proteins and its downstream targets in apigetrin-treated AGS cells was identified to be decreased. Taken together, these data suggest that apigetrin-treated AGS cells induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, extrinsic apoptosis and autophagic cell death through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which can lead to the inhibition of gastric cancer development. Thus, our findings strongly indicate that apigetrin is a basic natural derived compound that could be used as a nutrient source with potential anticancer activities against gastric cancer.     

Autophagy interplay with apoptosis and cell cycle regulation in the growth inhibiting effect of resveratrol in glioma cells

Prognosis of patients with glioblastoma (GBM) remains very poor, thus making the development of new drugs urgent. Resveratrol (Rsv) is a natural compound that has several beneficial effects such as neuroprotection and cytotoxicity for several GBM cell lines. Here we evaluated the mechanism of action of Rsv on human GBM cell lines, focusing on the role of autophagy and its crosstalk with apoptosis and cell cycle control. We further evaluated the role of autophagy and the effect of Rsv on GBM Cancer Stem Cells (gCSCs), involved in GBM resistance and recurrence. Glioma cells treated with Rsv was tested for autophagy, apoptosis, necrosis, cell cycle and phosphorylation or expression levels of key players of these processes. Rsv induced the formation of autophagosomes in three human GBM cell lines, accompanied by an upregulation of autophagy proteins Atg5, beclin-1 and LC3-II. Inhibition of Rsv-induced autophagy triggered apoptosis, with an increase in Bax and cleavage of caspase-3. While inhibition of apoptosis or autophagy alone did not revert Rsv-induced toxicity, inhibition of both processes blocked this toxicity. Rsv also induced a S-G2/M phase arrest, accompanied by an increase on levels of pCdc2(Y15), cyclin A, E and B, and pRb (S807/811) and a decrease of cyclin D1. Interestingly, this arrest was dependent on the induction of autophagy, since inhibition of Rsv-induced autophagy abolishes cell cycle arrest and returns the phosphorylation of Cdc2(Y15) and Rb(S807/811), and levels of cyclin A, and B to control levels. Finally, inhibition of autophagy or treatment with Rsv decreased the sphere formation and the percentage of CD133 and OCT4-positive cells, markers of gCSCs. In conclusion, the crosstalk among autophagy, cell cycle and apoptosis, together with the biology of gCSCs, has to be considered in tailoring pharmacological interventions aimed to reduce glioma growth using compounds with multiple targets such as Rsv.     

Identification and expression profiles of genes and protens in SMMC-7721 cells

In the study presented here, we first evaluated effect of CDDP on liver cancer cells SMMC-7721 apoptosis and motility capacity. Then, we evaluate inhibitory effect of CDDP on tumour growth and its possible molecular mechanism in liver cancer mice model. Results showed that the apoptosis rate of cells decreased with increasing CDDP. Analysis of the effect of the CDDP on cell cycle was performed by flow cytometry and results show a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of cells in the S-phase of the cell cycle, with a decrease in the percentage of cells in the G1 and G2/M phases. CDDP did not close the wound even after 48 h, as opposed to untreated cells (0 mg/l). Similarly, the migratory and invasion capacity of SMMC-7721 cells was also reduced after treatment with CDDP, as evaluated by a transwell assay. Animal experiment indicated that CDDP administration could increase blood WBC, total protein, albumin and A/G, decrease blood alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels in hepatocellular carcinomas mice. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that positive expression of Fas and Bax proteins in the medicine-treated (II, III) group was significantly higher, whereas the expression of NF-κB, P53, Bcl-2 proteins was significantly lower than those of the control group. Gene expression analysis using Real time PCR methods revealed a significant up-regulation in the expression levels of Bax mRNA in the medicne-treated (II, III) group when compared to untreated control. In contrast, CDDP-treated group showed a significant down regulation in the expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA as compared to untreated control group. These results are in agreement with immunohistochemistry data. Our observations indicate that CDDP has damaged effects on liver tumour cells SMMC-7721 including apoptosis, motility and cell cycle under in vitro. CDDP can enhance pro-apoptosis gene Fas, Bax expression, decrease anti-apoptosis genes Bcl-2 expression, and mutant genes P53, NF-κB proteins expression.     

Apoptosis and autophagy have opposite roles on imatinib-induced K562 leukemia cell senescence

Imatinib, the anti-Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor used as first-line therapy in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), eliminates CML cells mainly by apoptosis and induces autophagy. Analysis of imatinib-treated K562 cells reveals a cell population with cell cycle arrest, p27 increase and senescence-associated beta galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) staining. Preventing apoptosis by caspase inhibition decreases annexin V-positive cells, caspase-3 cleavage and increases the SA-β-Gal-positive cell population. In addition, a concomitant increase of the cell cycle inhibitors p21 and p27 is detected emphasizing the senescent phenotype. Inhibition of apoptosis by targeting Bim expression or overexpression of Bcl2 potentiates senescence. The inhibition of autophagy by silencing the expression of the proteins ATG7 or Beclin-1 prevents the increase of SA-β-Gal staining in response to imatinib plus Z-Vad. In contrast, in apoptotic-deficient cells (Bim expression or overexpression of Bcl2), the inhibition of autophagy did not significantly modify the SA-β-Gal-positive cell population. Surprisingly, targeting autophagy by inhibiting ATG5 is accompanied by a strong SA-β-Gal staining, suggesting a specific inhibitory role on senescence. These results demonstrate that in addition to apoptosis and autophagy, imatinib induced senescence in K562 CML cells. Moreover, apoptosis is limiting the senescent response to imatinib, whereas autophagy seems to have an opposite role.     

Stimulation of autophagic activity in human glioma cells by anti-proliferative ardipusilloside I isolated from Ardisia pusilla

Aims

Ardipusilloside I (ADS-I), a triterpenoid saponin isolated from Ardisia pusilla A.DC (Myrsinaceae), has been recently tested for cancer treatment including brain cancer. However, the mechanism of its action remains elusive. The present study was to investigate the role of autophagy activation in the anti-tumor activities of ADS-I in human glioma cells.

Main methods

The tetrazolium dye (MTT) colorimetric assay was used for the measurement of cell proliferation in cultured glioma cells, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the examination of autophagic activity, flow cytometric analysis for the determination of cell cycle and apoptotic cells, and immunocytochemistry and Western blot for protein expression of microtubule-associated protein light-chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin 1.

Key findings

ADS-I significantly inhibited the proliferation of both U373 and T98G glioma cells in cultures in a dose-dependent manner. The cytotoxic activity of ADS-I against glioma cell growth was associated not only with the induction of cell cycle arrest at G₂/M phase and cell apoptosis in flow cytometric analysis, but also with the activation of autophagy, indicated by the formation of autophagosomes and up-regulated expression of both autophagic protein Beclin 1 and LC3 in glioma cells. Additionally, the treatment with chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, reduced ADS-1-mediated cell death.

Significance

These data suggest that the anti-proliferative activity of ADS-I in human glioma cells is associated with the activation of autophagy in addition to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and the antagonistic effect of chloroquine suggests an important role of autophagy in ADS-I-mediated cell death against tumor growth.     

Involvement of caspase-9 in autophagy-mediated cell survival pathway

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been considered for use in the prevention and treatment of cancer malignancy. FR122047 (FR) is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect, but the anticancer activity of the chemical has not yet been identified. In the present study, we could find that treatment of breast cancer MCF-7 cells with FR led to apoptosis accompanying with apparent activation of caspases. Treatment of caspase-specific inhibitors revealed that FR-induced apoptosis was caspase-8-dependent and inhibition of caspase-9 activity resulted in unexpected, marked enhancement of cell death. Knockdown of caspase-9 expression by specific siRNA caused increased susceptibility to FR-induced cell death, consistent with the results obtained with treatment of caspase-9 inhibitor. Inhibition of caspase-9 blocked the autophagic process by modulating lysosomal pH and acid-dependent cathepsin activities and augmented cell death due to blockage of cytoprotective autophagy. MCF-7 cells treated with sulforaphane, an autophagy-inducing drug, also showed marked accumulation of LC3-II, and co-treatment with caspase-9 inhibitor brought about increased susceptibility to sulforaphane-induced cell death. Different from the cases with FR or sulforaphane, etoposide- or doxorubicin-induced cell death was suppressed with co-treatment of caspase-9 inhibitor, and the drugs failed to induce significant autophagy in MCF-7 cells. Taken together, our data originally suggest that inhibition of caspase-9 may block the autophagic flux and enhance cell death due to blockage of cytoprotective autophagy.     

Exogenous expression of caveolin-1 is sufficient for hepatic stellate cell activation

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) expression is increased in hepatic stellate cells (HSC) upon liver cirrhosis and it functions as an integral membrane protein of lipid rafts and caveolae that regulates and integrates multiple signals as a platform. This study aimed to evaluate the role of Cav-1 in HSC. Thus, the effects of exogenous expression of Cav-1 in GRX cells, a model of activated HSC, were determined. Here, we demonstrated through evaluating well-known HSC activation markers – such as α-smooth muscle actin, collagen I, and glial fibrillary acidic protein – that up regulation of Cav-1 induced GRX to a more activated phenotype. GRX^EGFP-Cav1 presented an increased migration, an altered adhesion pattern, a reorganization f-actin cytoskeleton, an arrested cell cycle, a modified cellular ultrastructure, and a raised endocytic flux. Based on this, GRX ^EGFP-Cav1 represents a new cellular model that can be an important tool for understanding of events related to HSC activation. Furthermore, our results reinforce the role of Cav-1 as a molecular marker of HSC activation.     

Caspase-independent autophagic cytotoxicity in etoposide-treated CaSki cervical carcinoma cells

We studied the in vitro mechanism of etoposide-induced cell death in cervical cancer cells. Etoposide is cytotoxic to these cells, causing cell death by both apoptosis and autophagy, which has recently been described as a possible mechanism for nonapoptotic cell death. Electron microscopy revealed that autophagosomes/autolysosomes exhibited an autophagic appearance in the presence of etoposide. When autophagy was blocked by inhibitors of autophagy, including 3-methyladenine, both the expression of beclin 1 protein and the antitumor effect of etoposide were suppressed. Benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone, a pan-caspase inhibitor, reduced etoposide-induced cytotoxicity in CaSki cells. Hence, autophagy and apoptosis likely occur concurrently in etoposide-treated cervical cancer cells.     

Biophysical changes reduce energetic demand in growth factor–deprived lymphocytes

Cytokine regulation of lymphocyte growth and proliferation is essential for matching nutrient consumption with cell state. Here, we examine how cellular biophysical changes that occur immediately after growth factor depletion promote adaptation to reduced nutrient uptake. After growth factor withdrawal, nutrient uptake decreases, leading to apoptosis. Bcl-x_L expression prevents cell death, with autophagy facilitating long-term cell survival. However, autophagy induction is slow relative to the reduction of nutrient uptake, suggesting that cells must engage additional adaptive mechanisms to respond initially to growth factor depletion. We describe an acute biophysical response to growth factor withdrawal, characterized by a simultaneous decrease in cell volume and increase in cell density, which occurs before autophagy initiation and is observed in both FL5.12 Bcl-x_L cells depleted of IL-3 and primary CD8⁺ T cells depleted of IL-2 that are differentiating toward memory cells. The response reduces cell surface area to minimize energy expenditure while conserving biomass, suggesting that the biophysical properties of cells can be regulated to promote survival under conditions of nutrient stress.     

Ghrelin induces autophagy and CXCR4 expression via the SIRT1/AMPK axis in lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines

T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is one of the most frequent malignancies in children, and the CXCR4 receptor plays an important role in the metastasis of this malignancy. Ghrelin is a hormone with various functions including stimulation of the release of growth hormone and autophagy in cancer cells. Moreover, SIRT1 and AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) stimulate expression of proteins involved in autophagy. On the other hand, autophagic cell death can be an alternative target for cancer therapy, in the absence of apoptosis. The relationship between ghrelin and the SIRT1/AMPK axis and the resulting effects on autophagy, apoptosis, proliferation, and expression of CXCR4 and the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a), in Jurkat and Molt-4 human lymphoblastic cell lines was not previously clear. Here we demonstrate that SIRT1 expression is upregulated during the induction of autophagy by ghrelin, an effect that is inhibited by inactivation of SIRT1/AMPK axis. In addition, ghrelin can affect CXCR4 and GHS-R1a expression. In conclusion, this work reveals that ghrelin induces autophagy, invasion, and downregulation of ghrelin receptor expression via the SIRT1/AMPK axis in lymphoblastic cell lines. However, in these cell lines ghrelin-induced autophagy does not lead to cell death due to weak induction of apoptosis.     

The role of autophagy in human endometrium

Autophagy appears to play an important role in the normal development and maintenance of homeostasis in a variety of tissues, including the female reproductive tract. However, the role of autophagy and the association between autophagy and apoptosis in cyclic remodeling of the human endometrium have not been described. Therefore, we investigated the involvement of autophagy during the human endometrial cycle and its association with apoptosis. Endometrial samples were obtained from 15 premenopausal, nonpregnant women who underwent hysterectomies for benign gynecological reasons. The autophagy-associated protein, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 alpha (MAP1LC3A), was immunolocalized, and its expression level was measured by Western blot analysis. Apoptosis was evaluated by measuring the expression level of cleaved caspase 3 protein. MAP1LC3A protein was primarily expressed within the endometrial glandular cells and increased during the secretory phase. The expression level of the membrane-bound form of MAP1LC3A (MAP1LC3A-II) also increased as the menstrual cycle progressed, reaching a maximum level during the late secretory phase. This pattern coincided with the expression of cleaved caspase 3. Furthermore, expression of MAP1LC3A-II and cleaved caspase 3 increased in the in vitro-cultured endometrial cancer cells when estrogen and/or progesterone were withdrawn from the culture media to mimic physiological hormonal changes. These findings suggest that endometrial cell autophagy is directly involved in the cyclic remodeling of the human endometrium and is correlated with apoptosis. In addition, we inhibited autophagic processes using 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or bafilomycin A1 (Baf A1) to evaluate the role of autophagy in apoptosis induction in endometrial cancer cells. While the inhibition of autophagosome formation using 3-MA did not decrease apoptosis or cell death, the inhibition of autophagosome degradation by fusion with lysosomes using Baf A1 increased apoptosis and cell death, suggesting that the accumulation of autophagosomes induces apoptosis. Furthermore, Baf A1-induced apoptotic cell death was decreased by the apoptosis inhibitor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD-FMK). In conclusion, these results indicate that autophagy is involved in the endometrial cell cycle affecting apoptosis and is most prominent during the late secretory phase.     

Heat shock protein 90-mediated inactivation of nuclear factor-κB switches autophagy to apoptosis through becn1 transcriptional inhibition in selenite-induced NB4 cells

Autophagy can protect cells while also contributing to cell damage, but the precise interplay between apoptosis and autophagy and the contribution of autophagy to cell death are still not clear. Previous studies have shown that supranutritional doses of sodium selenite promote apoptosis in human leukemia NB4 cells. Here, we report that selenite treatment triggers opposite patterns of autophagy in the NB4, HL60, and Jurkat leukemia cell lines during apoptosis and provide evidence that the suppressive effect of selenite on autophagy in NB4 cells is due to the decreased expression of the chaperone protein Hsp90 (heat shock protein 90), suggesting a novel regulatory function of Hsp90 in apoptosis and autophagy. Excessive or insufficient expression indicates that Hsp90 protects NB4 cells from selenite-induced apoptosis, and selenite-induced decreases in the expression of Hsp90, especially in NB4 cells, inhibit the activities of the IκB kinase/nuclear factor-κB (IKK/NF-κB) signaling pathway, leading to less nuclear translocation and inactivation of NF-κB and the subsequent weak binding of the becn1 promoter, which facilitates the transition from autophagy to apoptosis. Taken together, our observations provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying the balance between apoptosis and autophagy, and we also identified Hsp90-NF-κB-Beclin1 as a potential biological pathway for signaling the switch from autophagy to apoptosis in selenite-treated NB4 cells.     

Adenovirus vector-mediated FAM176A overexpression induces cell death in human H1299 non-small cell lung cancer cells

FAM176A (family with sequence similarity 176 member A) is a novel molecule related to programmed cell death. A decreased expression of FAM176A has been found in several types of human tumors in including lung cancers. In the present study, we investigated the biological activities of FAM176A on the human non–small cell lung cancer cell line H1299 cells. We constructed a recombinant adenovirus 5-FAM176A vector (Ad5-FAM176A) and evaluated the expression and anti-tumor activities in vitro. Cell viability analysis revealed that the adenovirus-mediated increase of FAM176A inhibited the growth of the tumor cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This inhibitory effect was mediated by both autophagy and apoptosis that involved caspase activation. In addition, cell cycle analysis suggested that Ad5-FAM176A could induce cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, all of which suggested that adenovirus-mediated FAM176A gene transfer might present a new therapeutic approach for lung cancer treatment. [BMB Reports 2014; 47(2): 104-109]     

Paeoniflorin attenuates oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced apoptosis and adhesion molecule expression by autophagy enhancement in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced endothelial dysfunction is recognized as a driving force in the development of atherosclerosis (AS). Paeoniflorin (Pae), a typical traditional herbal medicine, possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antihyperglycaemic, and antiapoptotic properties. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of Pae on ox-LDL-induced injury of the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and to explore its molecular mechanism. We found that ox-LDL stimulation inhibited cell viability, activated autophagy, and induced apoptosis and adhesion molecule expression in HUVECs. Pae rescued ox-LDL-induced viability reduction and enhanced the ox-LDL-induced autophagy activation in HUVECs. Pae inhibited ox-LDL-induced apoptosis and adhesion molecule expression by autophagy enhancement in HUVECs. In addition, inhibition of SIRT1 by EX-527 abolished the promoting effect of Pae on autophagy and restored the inhibitory effect of Pae on apoptosis and adhesion molecule expression in the presence of ox-LDL. In conclusion, Pae attenuated ox-LDL-induced apoptosis and adhesion molecule expression by autophagy enhancement via upregulation of SIRT1 in HUVECs, shedding light on the mechanism underlying the protective effect of Pae on ox-LDL-induced injury of HUVECs.     

Ghrelin protects against cobalt chloride-induced hypoxic injury in cardiac H9c2 cells by inhibiting oxidative stress and inducing autophagy

Ghrelin is a multifunctional peptide that actively protects against cardiovascular ischemic diseases, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We used CoCl₂ to mimic hypoxic conditions in cardiac H9c2 cells in order to study the mechanism by which ghrelin protects cardiac myocytes against hypoxic injury by regulating the content of intracellular ROS and autophagy levels. Cell apoptosis and necrosis were evaluated by the flow cytometry assay, Hoechst staining, and LDH activity. Cell viability was detected by the WST-1 assay; ROS levels were assessed using DCFH2-DA; and Nox1, catalase and Mn-SOD were assayed by real-time PCR and activity assays. LC3II was measured by Western blot analysis. We observed that CoCl₂ induced apoptosis and death of H9c2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This was characterized by an increase in cell apoptosis, LDH activity, ROS content, Nox1 expression, and autophagy levels and a decrease in cell viability, catalase, and Mn-SOD activities. Ghrelin treatment significantly attenuated CoCl₂-induced hypoxic injury by decreasing cell apoptosis, LDH activity, ROS content, and Nox1 expression and increasing cell viability, autophagy levels, catalase, and Mn-SOD mRNA levels and activities. Further experiments revealed that inhibiting autophagy using 3-MA or AMPK pathway with compound C almost abrogated the induction of ghrelin in autophagy. This was associated with a decrease in cell viability and an increase in LDH activity. Our results indicate that ghrelin protected cardiac myocytes against CoCl₂-induced hypoxic injury by decreasing Nox1 expression, increasing the expression and activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, and inducing protective autophagy in an AMPK-dependent manner.