Effect of treatment with xanthohumol on cardiological alterations secondary to ageing

[Display omitted] •Inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis increase in cardiovascular ageing.•Xanthohumol treatment reverts the effect of cardiological alterations.•Xanthohumol may exert a protective effect in cardiovascular ageing.•Incorporation of xanthohumol in the diet may be potentially beneficial. This study investigated the effect of xanthohumol (XN), a flavonoid present in hops (Humulus lupulus L.), against ageing-related heart alterations in male senescence-accelerated prone mice (SAMP8). Male senescence-accelerated resistant mice (SAMR1) were used as controls. Animals were divided into four experimental groups of each strain: non-treated young mice, non-treated old mice and old mice treated either with 1 mg/kg/day or 5 mg/kg/day XN. After 30 days of treatment, animals were sacrificed and their hearts were collected and immediately frozen. mRNA and protein expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β, NFκB p65, HO-1, HO-2, BAX, caspase 3, AIF and SIRT1 were measured by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Our results showed an increase in inflammatory, oxidative stress and apoptosis markers in heart of old SAMP8 mice, in contrast to their younger counterparts. After treatment with XN, these age-related changes were reversed suggesting that XN could prevent the appearance of cardiovascular alterations related to ageing.