The protective effects of puerarin in cardiomyocytes from anoxia/reoxygenation injury are mediated by PKCε

Puerarin is an isoflavone isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Ge‐gen (Radix Puerariae). Clinical studies have confirmed the cardioprotective effects of puerarin; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects are still unclear. On the basis of previous findings, we hypothesized that puerarin protects cardiomyocytes from ischemia–reperfusion injury via the protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) (a critical cardioprotective protein) signalling pathway. Neonatal rat primary cardiomyocytes were preconditioned with puerarin or puerarin plus εV1‐2, a selective PKCε inhibitor, prior to anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) treatment. Western blot analysis showed that expression and activity of PKCε protein in puerarin preconditioned group were both increased compared with the control or A/R group. Subsequent assays showed that preconditioning with puerarin could increase the viability of neonatal rat primary cardiomyocytes treated with A/R, decreased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cell necrosis and apoptosis induced by A/R injury. However, the protective effects of puerarin completely disappeared in the group pretreated with puerarin plus εV1‐2. Thus, for the first time, we revealed the protective effects of puerarin in cardiomocytes from anoxia/reoxygenation injury are mediated by PKCε. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.