Dose-Response (Jan 2022)

Puerarin Reduces Radiation-Induced Vascular Endothelial Cell Damage Via miR-34a/Placental Growth Factor

  • Chang Liu MD,
  • Ying Zhao MD,
  • Xiaoting Xu MD, PhD,
  • Lei Zhang MD,
  • Fengmei Cui PhD,
  • Qiu Chen PhD,
  • Hongxia Li MD, PhD,
  • Ru Sang MD, PhD,
  • Gen Li PhD,
  • Yongming He MD, PhD

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/15593258211068649
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20

Abstract

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The aim is to explore the protective effects of Puerarin on radiation-induced vascular endothelial cell damage and its underlying mechanism. The apoptosis and DNA damage of Human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to radiation alone or in combination with glucose in the exposed group were significantly elevated ( P < .05) compared with those in the control group. The Puerarin-treated HUVECs showed significant reduction in the radiation-induced apoptosis and DNA damage ( P < .05). Furthermore, X-ray irradiation significantly increased the expression of miR-34a, which was reversed by pre-treatment with Puerarin. Placental Growth Factor (PLGF) was a target gene of miR-34a. The expression of PLGF in the peripheral blood of patients receiving radiotherapy significantly increased with an increase in the cumulative dose of radiation ( P < .05), after which it began to decrease at the fourth week ( P < .05) and then remained at a low level until the end of radiotherapy. Puerarin exerts a radioprotective effect by decreasing DNA damage and apoptosis through miR-34a-targeted PLGF.