%0 Journal Article
%T Empagliflozin attenuates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting the JNK signaling pathway.
%A Chang HY
%A Hsu HC
%A Fang YH
%A Liu PY
%A Liu YW
%J Biomed Pharmacother
%V 176
%N 0
%D 2024 Jul 23
%M 38788603
%F 7.419
%R 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116759
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, such as empagliflozin, are pivotal therapies for heart failure. However, the effect of empagliflozin on doxorubicin-related cardiac dysfunction remains unclear.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Human induced pluripotent stem cell- and embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes were used to investigate the direct effect of empagliflozin on human cardiomyocytes. Then, the c-Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNK) inhibitor SP600125 was administered to the doxorubicin cardiotoxicity model in vitro and in vivo to investigate the role of JNK in empagliflozin.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>In human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, pretreatment with empagliflozin attenuated doxorubicin-induced cleavage of caspase 3 and other apoptosis markers. Empagliflozin significantly attenuated doxorubicin-induced phosphorylation of JNK and p38. Inhibiting the phosphorylation of JNK (SP600125) or STAT3 attenuated doxorubicin-induced apoptosis, but inhibiting the phosphorylation of p38 did not. SP600125 inhibits the phosphorylation of STAT3 (S727), and a STAT3 (Y705) inhibitor also inhibits the phosphorylation of JNK. Empagliflozin and SP600125 attenuated doxorubicin-induced increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreases in oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). In animal studies, empagliflozin and SP600125 attenuated doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Empagliflozin attenuated doxorubicin-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the phosphorylation of JNK and its downstream signaling pathways, including ROS and NAD+.