Cardiac protection of wogonin in mice with pulmonary fibrosis by regulating Sirt1/ γ-H2AX pathway

Libo Wang ¹ Fei Lin ² Runran Miao ² Tianhao Zhao ¹ Yuan Liu ² Lin Yang ^1* Min Zhang ^3*

• ¹ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
• ² Department of Cardiology, Life Science Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, 453100, China, Xinxiang, China
• ³ King’s College London British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences, London, United Kingdom, SE5 9NU, London, United Kingdom

Background: Clinical evidence suggests that pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and heart failure (HF) often co-exist; however, the specific impact of PF on HF remains underexplored. This gap in understanding complicates the management and treatment of HF in patients with PF.Objectives: To investigate the effects of PF on cardiac function and myocardial fibrosis using a mouse PF model and evaluate the therapeutic potential of wogonin, a flavonoid compound known for its anti-PF properties.Methods: A PF mouse model was established via intratracheal administration of bleomycin (BLM). Starting on day 8 post-BLM treatment, wogonin (50mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered every two days for two weeks. Cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography, while myocardial fibrosis was evaluated through Masson staining. In vitro, H9C2 cardiomyocytes were exposed to CoCl₂ or H₂O₂ for 24 hours with or without wogonin (20μM) treatment. Apoptosis and DNA damage markers were analysed using immunofluorescence, immunoblotting, and the Comet assay. The interaction between wogonin and Sirt1 was examined using biotin-affinity pulldown assays and molecular docking simulations.Results: Mice with PF exhibited significant cardiac dysfunction and myocardial fibrosis. Wogonin treatment markedly improved ejection fraction and attenuated myocardial fibrosis in PF mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that wogonin alleviated DNA damage and cardiomyocyte apoptosis by upregulating Sirt1 and downregulating γ-H2AX expression. Docking simulations predicted that wogonin forms a stable complex with Sirt1 through hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions, which was further validated by biotin-affinity pulldown assays.Conclusions: Wogonin exerts protective effects against cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis in PF mice by modulating Sirt1/γ-H2AX-mediated pathways to reduce DNA damage and apoptosis. These findings suggest the potential of wogonin as a therapeutic agent for managing HF associated with PF.