Protective effect and mechanism of lycorine against septic myocardial injury in sepsis

  AIM   To investigate the effect and mechanism of lycorine (LYC) on myocardial injury induced by cecal ligation puncture (CLP) in mice.

  METHODS   Male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups, sham group, CLP group and LYC + CLP group. CLP surgery was performed to establish the septic myocardial injury model. The mice in LYC + CLP group were given lycorine, and the mice in sham group and CLP group were given DMSO of the same volume. Sepsis score, anal temperature, blood routine parameters, blood biochemical parameters, cardiac functions, myocardial tissue structure and expressions of inflammatory factors were further detected in mice.

  RESULTS   Compared with CLP group, the mice in LYC + CLP group showed lower sepsis scores and higher anal temperature (P<0.05). Lycorine reversed blood routine parameters (WBC, LYM and PLT, P<0.05) and blood biochemical parameters (LDH, AST and BUN, P<0.05). Lycorine significantly increased the SV, CO, LVESV and LVEDV values of the cardiac functions in septic mice (P<0.05). In addition, HE staining showed that compared with those in CLP group, the myocardial tissue structure was relatively intact in the mice of LYC + CLP group (P<0.05). Furthermore, qRT-PCR assay showed that the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in myocardium were significantly decreased (P<0.05).

  CONCLUSION   Lycorine plays a protective role in sepsis and septic myocardial injury, which is related to the inhibition of inflammatory response.