Effect of apigenin on dynamin-related protein 1 in type 1 diabetic rats with cardiovascular complications

Background and objective: Cardiovascular complications cause increased mortality rates among diabetics. The molecular mechanisms of aberrant mitochondrial dynamics in diabetes mellitus (DM) are not fully understood. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is thought to be a major regulator of mitochondrial fission. There is lack of studies that examined the relationship between apigenin and Drp1 expression in DM. Thus, the current study aimed to explore the expression of Drp1 in diabetic rats with cardiovascular complications, as well as to appraise the role of apigenin in modulating this expression.

Methods: Twenty-eight adult male albino Wister rats were randomly and equally allocated into four groups: naive, streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic control and two apigenin-injected diabetic groups (early and late). Body weight, heart weight, blood pressure and ECG were recorded. Evaluation of blood glucose level, lipid profile and cardiac functions were measured. Determination of Drp1 mRNA expression, and histological examination of cardiac tissues from the four groups were performed.

Results: Diabetic control rats developed decrease of body weight, increase of blood pressure, deterioration of the normal ECG pattern and upregulation of Drp1 mRNA expression in cardiac tissues. There was a significant correlation between the relative expression of Drp1 and all examined parameters. Apigenin-injection improved fasting blood glucose, lipid profile and cardiac function indicators (i.e., ECG parameters, CK-MB and troponin) as well as the cardiac histological structure. The decrease of Drp1 expression was more evident with early than with late apigenin-injection, however, without statistical significance.

Conclusions: Increased level of Drp1 expression in diabetic rats may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiovascular complications. The changes that occurred in response to apigenin injection highlight its potential ameliorative effect on the diabetic cardiovascular complications and pave the route for further investigations.