This study was designed to delineate the effect of kaempferol (KF) on heart failure (HF) in diabetic rats. Streptozotocin-induced male diabetic rats received KF orally at 10 and 20 mg/kg for 42 consecutive days. In last 2 days of the experimental period, isoproterenol was subcutaneously injected at 85 mg/kg to induce HF. The hearts were processed for hemodynamic, biochemical, molecular, and histological investigations. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial blood pressure were elevated in KF-treated HF-induced diabetic rats. Moreover, KF treatment resulted in decreased fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels with increased serum insulin levels. Besides, serum cardiac injury markers like troponin-I, creatine kinase-muscle/brain, lactate dehydrogenase, and brain natriuretic peptide levels were significantly reduced in KF treatment. KF treatment has shown decrease in cardiac heme oxygenase-1, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2), and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase with increased Keap1 mRNA levels. The cardioprotection of KF was improved by inhibition of apoptosis via blocking phosphorylation of Akt/glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β and p38 mitogen-activated protein-kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinases signaling pathways in HF-induced diabetic rats. Moreover, reduced cardiac apoptosis in KF treatment was confirmed by decreased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) positive cells, histopathological changes in HF-induced diabetic rats. Therefore, the cardioprotective effect of KF is attributed to the regulation of Nrf2, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, and Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathways in HF-induced diabetic rats.
Keywords: apoptosis; diabetes; heart failure; inflammation; oxidative stress.
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