Dopamine signaling attenuated myocardial injury during endotoxemia

Abstract

Myocardial depression is a well-recognized manifestation of organ dysfunction in sepsis, the direct protective effect of Dopamine on myocardial is still not clear. Here, we aimed to study whether Dopamine can directly protect myocardial from endotoxemia. To test that, we used adult C57/BL6 mice were treated with endotoxin (0.5 mg/kg, iv). Clozapine was administered as D2 antagonist, (intraperitoneal administration shortly before the model of sepsis). Electron microscopy, TUNEL staining, caspase-3 expression, and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio were used to measure myocardial apoptosis. Left ventricle (LV) function was assessed using a microcatheter system. Chemokines and cytokines in plasma and myocardium were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mononuclear cells in the myocardium were examined using immunofluorescence staining. In conclusion, our results for the first time showed the role of Dopamine to directly protect myocardial from endotoxemia through attenuated proinflammatory cytokines and partly through inhibiting apoptosis.