Mitochondria fission accentuates oxidative stress in hyperglycemia-induced H9c2 cardiomyoblasts in vitro by regulating fatty acid oxidation

Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Previous studies have revealed that inhibition of mitochondrial fission suppressed oxidative stress and alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiac dysfunction in diabetic mice. However, no research has confirmed whether mitochondria fission accentuates hyperglycemia-induced cardiomyoblast oxidative stress through regulating fatty acid oxidation (FAO). We used H9c2 cardiomyoblasts exposed to high glucose (HG) 33 mM to simulate DCM in vitro. Excessive mitochondrial fission, poor cell viability, and lipid accumulation were observed in hyperglycemia-induced H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. Also, the cells were led to oxidative stress injury, lower adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, and apoptosis. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) short interfering RNA (siRNA) decreased targeted marker expression, inhibited mitochondrial fragmentation and lipid accumulation, suppressed oxidative stress, reduced cardiomyoblast apoptosis, and improved cell viability and ATP levels in HG-exposed H9c2 cardiomyoblasts, but not in carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) inhibitor etomoxir treatment cells. We also found subcellular localization of CPT1 on the mitochondrial membrane, FAO, and levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) were suppressed after exposure to HG treatment, whereas Drp1 siRNA normalized mitochondrial CPT1, FAO, and NADPH. However, the blockade of FAO with etomoxir abolished the above effects of Drp1 siRNA in hyperglycemia-induced H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. The preservation of mitochondrial function through the Drp1/CPT1/FAO pathway is the potential mechanism of inhibited mitochondria fission in attenuating oxidative stress injury of hyperglycemia-induced H9c2 cardiomyoblasts.