17-Methoxyl-7-hydroxy-benzene-furanchalcone improves mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative stress following myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury through the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway based on network pharmacology.

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative stress are pivotal in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. 17-Methoxyl-7-hydroxy-benzene-furanchalcone (MHBFC) has been shown to significantly protect mitochondria during myocardial I/R injury. However, the potential mechanisms involved remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the impact of MHBFC on myocardial I/R injury through network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and experimental validation.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A rat I/R model was developed by inducing 1 h of coronary occlusion followed by 3 h of reperfusion. It was found that MHBFC significantly ameliorated cardiac function, reduced infarct size and cardiac enzymes, and increased the copy number of mitochondrial DNA and ATP production. MHBFC exposure also significantly elevated antioxidant enzyme activity and suppressed ROS production. Network pharmacology analysis identified that core targets of MHBFC associated with myocardial I/R injury were significantly enriched in the adenosine 5'-monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK)/silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog-1 (SIRT1) signaling pathway. Molecular docking analyses showed the strong binding of MHBFC with AMPK and SIRT1. Molecular dynamics simulation verified the stability of the docked complex. Western blot analysis confirmed that MHBFC activated the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway, and its protective effects were further validated in hypoxia/reoxygenation-. treated H9c2 cardiomyocytes.

CONCLUSION: The study concludes that MHBFC mitigates myocardial I/R injury by improving mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative stress through activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway.