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Cardioprotective effects of <i>Dan-Yang-Fu-Xin</i> decoction on chronic heart failure in rats


Jing-shu Guan
Xiang Chen
Zheng-kun Yang

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the cardioprotective effects and possible mechanisms of Dan-Yang-Fu-Xin decoction (DYFX) in a rat chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods: A CHF rat model induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery was used to investigate the cardioprotective effects of DYFX. After intragastric administration for 8 weeks, several functional cardiac indices, including fractional shortening (FS), ejection fraction (EF), heart rate (HR) and cardiac output (CO) were assessed by ultrasound examination. Subsequently, inflammatory markers, viz, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), myocardial enzymes, namely, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK), were also assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: Intragastric administration of DYFX (200, 400 and 600 mg/kg) significantly reversed the decrease in body weight and increase in cardiac weight (p < 0.05) induced by CHF. Treatment with DYFX also significantly reversed EF, FS, HR, and CO changes in CHF rats. In addition, DYFX inhibited the two inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) and myocardial enzymes (CK and LDH), suggesting that these effects may include the mechanisms of cardioprotectiion involved in attenuation of CHF.

Conclusion: DYFX possesses cardioprotective effects involving CHF. The protective mechanisms may include the suppression of expression of inflammatory mediators and myocardial enzymes.

Keywords: Dan-Yang-Fu-Xin decoction, Cardioprotection, Chronic heart failure, Inflammatory mediators, Myocardial enzymes


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eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996