AIM To study the protective effect and mechanism of lycorine on hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury in H9c2 cardiomyocytes.

METHODS H9c2 myocardial cells were randomly divided into four groups: control group, H/R group, H/R+low-dose lycorine group and H/R+high-dose lycorine group. CCK-8 was used to analyze the viability of H9c2 myocardial cells. The release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH Px) were measured with the kit. Apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry, Notch1 protein level was detected by Western blotting and the levels of HES-1, HES-5 and Hey-1 mRNA were detected by Real time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS Compared with those in control group, the activity of H9c2 cardiomyocytes in H/R group decreased (P<0.05), the activity of SOD and GSH-Px decreased (P<0.05), and the apoptosis rate, LDH release, MDA and ROS content, Notch1 protein level, and HES-1, HES-5 and Hey-1 mRNA levels increased (P<0.05). Compared with those in H/R group, the activity of H9c2 cardiomyocytes in both H/R+low-dose lycorine group and H/R+high-dose lycorine group increased (P<0.05), the activity of SOD and GSH-Px increased (P<0.05), the apoptosis rate, LDH release, and MDA and ROS content decreased (P<0.05), and Notch1 protein level, HES-1, HES-5 and Hey-1 mRNA levels increased (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION Lycoritine can alleviate the injury effect of H/R induced cardiomyocytes, and whether its mechanism is related to the upregulation of Notch pathway remains to be further studied.