1. Academic Validation
  2. L-Cystathionine Protects against Homocysteine-Induced Mitochondria-Dependent Apoptosis of Vascular Endothelial Cells

L-Cystathionine Protects against Homocysteine-Induced Mitochondria-Dependent Apoptosis of Vascular Endothelial Cells

  • Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2019 Nov 25;2019:1253289. doi: 10.1155/2019/1253289.
Xiuli Wang 1 2 Yi Wang 1 Lulu Zhang 1 Da Zhang 1 Lu Bai 1 Wei Kong 3 Yaqian Huang 1 Chaoshu Tang 3 4 Junbao Du 1 Hongfang Jin 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
  • 2 Research Unit of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Syncope and Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
  • 3 Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
  • 4 Key Lab. of Ministry of Education of China, Beijing 100191, China.
Abstract

The study was aimed at investigating the effects of L-cystathionine on vascular endothelial cell Apoptosis and its mechanisms. Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used in the study. Apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells was induced by homocysteine. Apoptosis, mitochondrial superoxide anion, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening, and caspase-9 and Caspase-3 activities were examined. Expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and cleaved Caspase-3 was tested and BTSA1, a Bax Agonist, and HUVEC Bax overexpression was used in the study. Results showed that homocysteine obviously induced the Apoptosis of HUVECs, and this effect was significantly attenuated by the pretreatment with L-cystathionine. Furthermore, L-cystathionine decreased the production of mitochondrial superoxide anion and the expression of Bax and restrained its translocation to mitochondria, increased mitochondrial membrane potential, inhibited mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening, suppressed the leakage of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytoplasm, and downregulated activities of caspase-9 and Caspase-3. However, BTSA1, a Bax Agonist, or Bax overexpression successfully abolished the inhibitory effect of L-cystathionine on Hcy-induced MPTP opening, caspase-9 and Caspase-3 activation, and HUVEC Apoptosis. Taken together, our results indicated that L-cystathionine could protect against homocysteine-induced mitochondria-dependent Apoptosis of HUVECs.

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