Activation of the AMPK-mTOR Pathway by Astaxanthin Against Cold Ischemia-Reperfusion in Rat Liver

Activation of the AMPK-mTOR Pathway by Astaxanthin Against Cold Ischemia-Reperfusion in Rat Liver

Shujun Lu,¹ Yajing Zhang² and Wenli Yu¹

¹Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
²First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, China

To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of astaxanthin on myocardial injury through activation of AMPK-mTOR pathway. In this study, 32 SPF adult male Wistar rats aged 8 to 10 weeks, weighing 250-300 g were divided into 4 groups (n = 8): sham surgery group (S group), autologous orthotopic liver transplantation group (T group), astaxanthin pretreatment surgery group (Group A) and compound C + astaxanthin pretreatment surgery group (Group C). Group A was given astaxanthin 500 mg/kg, group C received compound C 50 mg/kg + astaxanthin 500 mg/kg once a day for 2 weeks, group S and T received same volume of 0.9% saline. 8 h after portal vein opening, blood samples were collected to determine serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and HMGB 1 and myocardial injury markers. Myocardial tissue was collected to determine the MDA content, SOD activity and activation of AMPK-mTOR pathway. Compared with the S group, higher serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, HMGB 1, CK-MB, cTnI, and H-FABP in groups T, A, and C, increased MDA content and decreased SOD activity, higher expression of activated Caspase-3 was observed; Compared with the T group, in group A, the serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, and HMGB 1, CB-MB, cTnI, and H-FABP were significantly decreased, with decreased MDA content, increased SOD activity, the reduced expression of activated Caspase-3, elevated P-AMPK/AMPK, and decreased P-mTOR/mTOR. In Conclusion, Astaxanthin protects against liver ischemia-induced myocardial injury in rats mediating by the activation of the AMPK-mTOR pathway.

Key words —— AMPK-mTOR; astaxanthin; liver transplantation; myocardial injury

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2025 March, 265(3), 151-159.

Correspondence: Wenli Yu, 24 Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300192, China.

e-mail: yuwenli8363@163.com