Bakuchiol protects against pathological cardiac hypertrophy by blocking NF kappa B signaling pathway

Bakuchiol, a monoterpene phenol isolated from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia, has been widely used to treat a large variety of diseases in both Indian and Chinese folkloric medicine. However, the effects of bakuchiol on cardiac hypertrophy remain unclear. Therefore, this study was designed to determine whether bakuchiol could alleviate cardiac hypertrophy. Mice were subjected to aortic banding to induce cardiac hypertrophy model. 1 ml/100 g body weight Bakuchiol was given by oral gavage once a day from 1 week till 8 weeks after surgery. Our data demonstrated for the first time that bakuchiol could attenuate pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and could attenuate fibrosis and the inflammatory response induced by aortic banding. The results further revealed that the effect of bakuchiol on cardiac hypertrophy was mediated by blocking the activation of the NF- κB signaling pathway. In vitro studies performed in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes further proved that the protective effect of bakuchiol on cardiac hypertrophy is largely dependent on the NF- κB pathway. Based on our results, bakuchiol shows profound potential for its application in the treatment of pathological cardiac hypertrophy, and we believe that bakuchiol may be a promising therapeutic candidate to treat cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.