Abstract
(-)-Epicatechin (EPI) is beneficial for cardiovascular health. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut microbe-derived food metabolite, is strongly associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of EPI on TMAO-induced cardiac hypertrophy remain unclear. This study aimed to determine whether EPI inhibits TMAO-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Plasma levels of TMAO in control participants and patients with cardiac hypertrophy were measured and analyzed. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, TMAO group, EPI group and TMAO + EPI group. According to the groups assignments, mice received intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of normal saline or i.p. injection of TMAO (150 mg/kg/day) for 14 days. The EPI group was given intragastric (i.g.) administration of EPI alone (1 mg/kg/day) for 21 days, and TMAO + EPI group received i.g. administration of EPI for 7 days before starting i.p. injection of TMAO, continuing until the end of the TMAO treatment. Histological analyses of the mice's hearts was accessed by H&E and Masson staining. In vitro, H9c2 cells were induced to hypertrophy by TMAO (10 µM) for 24 h and were pre-treated with or without EPI (10 µM) for 1 h. Protein level of cardiac hypertrophy markers and Sp1/SIRT1/SUMO1 pathway were determined by western blot. The plasma level of TMAO was 2.66 ± 1.59 μmol/L in patients with cardiac hypertrophy and 0.62 ± 0.30 μmol/L in control participants. EPI attenuated TMAO-induced hypertrophy in H9c2 cells. In vivo, TMAO induced cardiac hypertrophy and impaired the cardiac function of mice. Pathological staining showed that TMAO induced cardiac hypertrophy and collagen deposition in mice. EPI treatment improved the cardiac function, inhibited the myocardial hypertrophy induced by TMAO. EPI significantly attenuated the TMAO-induced upregulation of ANP and BNP and the downregulation of SP1, SIRT1 and SUMO1 in vivo and in vitro. EPI may suppress TMAO-induced cardiac hypertrophy by activating the Sp1/SIRT1/SUMO1 signaling pathway.