Baicalein ameliorated obesity-induced cardiac dysfunction by regulating the mitochondrial unfolded protein response through NRF2 signaling

Background: The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR^mt) is the first line of defense against mitochondrial dysfunction in several diseases. Baicalein, which is an extract of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi roots, exerts mitoprotective effects on metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. However, it remains unclear whether baicalein alleviates obesity-induced cardiac damage through the UPR^mt.

Purpose: The present research designed to clarify the role of baicalein in lipotoxicity-induced myocardial Apoptosis and investigated the UPR^mt-related mechanism.

Methods: In the in vitro experiment, palmitic acid (PA)-treated AC16 cardiomyocytes were established to mimic obesity-induced myocardial injury. After pretreatment of AC16 cells with baicalein, the levels of cell vitality, Apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial oxidative stress, and UPR^mt-related proteins were determined. Additionally, AC16 cells were treated with ML385 or siRNA to explore the regulation of the UPR^mt by NRF2 signaling. In the in vivo experiment, male db/db mice administered with baicalein for 8 weeks were used to validate the effects of baicalein on cardiac damage induced by obesity, the UPR^mt, and the NRF2-related pathway.

Results: In AC16 cardiomyocytes, PA dose-dependently increased the expression of UPR^mt markers (HSP60, LONP1, ATF4, and ATF5). This increase was accompanied by enhanced production of mitochondrial ROS, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and elevated the expression levels of cytochrome c, cleaved Caspase-3, and Bax/Bcl2, eventually leading to cell Apoptosis. Baicalein treatment reversed UPR^mt activation and mitochondrial damage and impeded mitochondrial-mediated cell Apoptosis. Moreover, NRF2 downregulation by its inhibitor ML385 or siRNA diminished baicalein-mediated NRF2 signaling activation and UPR^mt inhibition and triggered mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, NRF2 deficiency more intensely activated the UPR^mt_, resulting in mitochondrial oxidative stress and Apoptosis of PA-induced cardiomyocytes, thus indicating that NRF2 plays a vital role in mitochondrial homeostasis regulation. In the in vivo study in db/db mice, baicalein inhibited the UPR^mt, enhanced the antioxidant capacity, and attenuated cardiac dysfunction through a NRF2-activated pathway.

Conclusion: To our best knowledge, these results provide the first insight that baicalein inhibits the UPR^mt to induce a protective effect against lipotoxicity-induced mitochondrial damage and cardiomyocyte Apoptosis via activating NRF2 signaling and suggest a new role of NRF2 in UPR^mt regulation.

Baicalein; Cardiomyocyte apoptosis; NRF2; Obesity; UPR(mt).