In the present study, we provided the first evidence that AL not
only protected against cardiac dysfunction and apoptosis, but also
inhibited the development of myocardial fibrosis in STZ-induced
diabetic rats. These observations were strongly confirmed by the
facts that AL could significantly influence the functional expression
of proteins, such as Bcl-2, Fas, CTGF, and TGF-1, which further led
to the inhibition of apoptosis and fibrosis, ultimately preventing
cardiac dysfunction. These findings supported the notion that AL
could be a promising candidate for therapies against myocardial
fibrosis, apoptosis, and progression of initiate myocardial injury
and myocardial dysfunction induced by diabetes.