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Lumbrokinase from earthworm extract ameliorates second‐hand smoke‐induced cardiac fibrosis
Author(s) -
Lai ChaoHung,
Han ChienKuo,
Shibu Marthandam Asokan,
Pai Pei Ying,
Ho TsungJung,
Day Cecilia Hsuan,
Tsai FuuJen,
Tsai ChangHai,
Yao ChunHsu,
Huang ChihYang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
environmental toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1522-7278
pISSN - 1520-4081
DOI - 10.1002/tox.21993
Subject(s) - cardiac fibrosis , medicine , fibrosis , ventricle , plasminogen activator , tobacco smoke , pharmacology , environmental health
ABSTRACT Exposure to tobacco smoke has epidemiologically been linked to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease among nonsmokers but the associated molecular events are not well elucidated yet. When Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to second‐hand tobacco cigarette smoke twice a day for a 30 days period at an exposure rate of 10 cigarettes/30 min, they showed adverse effects including reduced left ventricle weight, increased cardiac damages, deteriorated cardiac features, and cardiac fibrosis. Exposure to second‐hand smoking (SHS) increased the molecular markers of cardiac fibrosis such as urokinase plasminogen activator and matrix metallopeptidases. The modulations in the protein levels were led by the activation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERK1/2), the transcription factor‐specificity protein 1 (SP1), and the fibrogenic master switch‐connective for epithelial–mesenchymal transition tissue growth factor there by indicating their effective role in SHS‐induced myocardial infraction. Dilong, an edible earthworm extract used in Chinese medicine and its bioactive fibrinolytic enzyme product‐lumbrokinase, when administered in rats, restricted the SHS exposure induced cardiac fibrosis and provided cardio‐protection. The results show that lumbrokinase and dilong administration can efficiently prevent epidemiological incidence of cardiac disease among SHS‐exposed nonsmokers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 30: 1216–1225, 2015.