Quercetin promotes myocardial relaxation in diabetic mice via activation of the calcium pump of the sarcoplasmic reticulum

Quercetin promotes myocardial relaxation via activation of the calcium pump of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Moreover, it improves myocardial relaxation dysfunction associated with diabetes mellitus. These findings were shown by a research group led by Prof. Hikaru Tanaka and Dr. Shogo Hamaguchi at the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University. Noteworthy, this study was published as a Featured Article in the journal “Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin” on December 1, 2021.

Key points

In this study, they investigated the effects of quercetin, a component of fruits and vegetables, on myocardial relaxation dysfunction in a mouse model of diabetes
Quercetin was assumed to promote myocardial relaxation through the activation of the calcium pump of the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Future investigation of the pharmacological properties and potential clinical applications of quercetin and related compounds should be carried out, leading to the development of new therapeutic agents.

Outline
Myocardial relaxation dysfunction is a critical heart disease which results in heart failure associated with hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes. However, the crucial need for therapeutic drugs that target this disorder is still unmet. Quercetin, a flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables, has been reported to have antioxidant, antiviral, and anticancer effects. However, the effects of quercetin on myocardial relaxation dysfunction had not been fully investigated.
Interestingly, the research group has shown that quercetin promotes myocardial relaxation in diabetic mice. This effect was attributed to the activation of the calcium pump of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This finding could lead to the development of new therapeutic drugs derived from natural products, including quercetin.

Journal name: Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, Vol. 44, No. 12, (2021), 1894-1897
Title of paper: Positive Lusitropic Effect of Quercetin on Isolated Ventricular Myocardia from Normal and Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice
Authors: Shogo Hamaguchi*, Kohei Abe, Momoka Komatsu, Jun Kainuma, Iyuki Namekata, and Hikaru Tanaka
DOI No.: 10.1248/bpb.b21-00580
Abstract URL: https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.b21-00580