Liraglutide ameliorates COCl2-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in H9C2 cells via regulating cell autophagy.

Protective effects of liraglutide on H9C2 cells cultured using CoCl and its mechanism of action were investigated. Hypoxia model was established using CoCl-treated H9C2 cells. With liraglutide as the treatment factor, apoptosis, changes in nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity, mitochondrial membrane potential and change in cell autophagy level were detected via Hoechst staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blotting (WB), respectively. Liraglutide ameliorated the CoCl-induced decrease in H9C2 cell viability, the increases in cytotoxicity and percentage of apoptotic cells as well as oxidative stress in cells. Moreover, it stimulated the elevation of cell autophagy level. However, the protective effects of liraglutide on H9C2 cells were attenuated remarkably after adding the cell autophagy inhibitor. Liraglutide can ameliorate the CoCl-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in H9C2 cells via regulating cell autophagy.