Cinnamaldehyde protects cardiomyocytes from oxygen‐glucose deprivation/reoxygenation‐induced lipid peroxidation and DNA damage via activating the Nrf2 pathway

Abstract Rapid restoration of perfusion in ischemic myocardium is the most direct and effective treatment for coronary heart disease but may cause myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI). Cinnamaldehyde (CA, C9H8O), a key component in the well‐known Chinese medicine cinnamomum cassia, has cardioprotective effects against MIRI. This study aimed to observe the therapeutic effect of CA on MIRI and to elucidate its potential mechanism. H9C2 rat cardiomyocytes were pretreated with CA solution at 0, 10, and 100 μM, respectively and subjected to oxygen‐glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). Then the cell viability, the NF‐κB and caspase3 gene levels, the reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio, superoxide dismutase (SOD) level, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, 4‐hydroxynonenal (4‐HNE), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected. The severity of DNA damage was assessed by tail moment (TM) values using alkaline comet assay. Besides, the DNA damage‐related proteins and the key proteins of the Nrf2 pathway were detected by western blot. CA treatment increased the cell viability, GHS/GSSG ratio, SOD level, PARP1, Nrf2, PPAR‐γ, and HO‐1 protein levels of H9C2 cardiomyocytes, while reducing NF‐κB, caspase3, ROS level, 4‐HNE and MDA content, γ‐H2AX protein level, and TM values. Inhibition of the Nrf2 pathway reversed the effect of CA on cell viability and apoptosis of OGD/R induced H9C2 cardiomyocytes. Besides, 100 μM CA was more effective than 10 μM CA. In the OGD/R‐induced H9C2 cardiomyocyte model, CA can protect cardiomyocytes from MIRI by attenuating lipid peroxidation and repairing DNA damage. The mechanism may be related to the activation of the Nrf2 pathway.