Influence of compatibility of glycyrrhetinic acid, liquiritin and hypaconitine on apoptosis pathway in rats with chronic heart failure / 中成药

ABSTRACT

AIM To explore the anti-heart failure effects of compatibility of glycyrrhetinic acid,liquiritin and hypaconitine on apoptotic pathway in rats with chronic heart failure and the possible mechanism of action.METHODS Sixty rats were operated through transverse aortic constriction to create the chronic heart failure models.After four weeks,these rats were randomly divided into seven groups:sham group (n =6),model group (n =7),digoxin group (n =8),hypaconitine group (n =9),glycyrrhetinic acid + hypaconitine group (n =9),liquiritin + hypaconitine group (n =9),glycyrrhetinic acid + liquiritin + hypaconitine group (n =9).Then the rats were given medicines or saline perfusion by oral gavage for one week.On the 7th day,the rats were executed.Before the rats were killed,the blood samples were obtained and echocardiographic were carried on to get the ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) data;and the ELISA test was done for type B natriuretic peptide (BNP) changes;and myocardial histopathological examinations were performed on Bcl-2,Bax and Caspase-3.And the protein expressions of Fas and Fas-L were detected by Western blot.RESULTS Compared with the model group,the expression of Bcl-2 of all the compatibility groups except the hypaconitine group was higher than that of the model group;the expressions of Bax,Caspase-3,Fas and Fas-L,besides with the measurements of EF,FS and BNP were lower than those of the model group,and the glycyrrhetinic acid + liquiritin + hypaconitine group showed the best effect.CONCLUSION The compatibility of hypaconitine,glycyrrhetinic acid and liquiritin could down-regulate the levels of EF,FS and BNP,together with the protein expressions of pro-apoptosis,meanwhile,up-regulate the protein expressions of anti-apoptosis.This might be one of the mechanisms for the anti-apoptosis effects on chronic heart failure by compatibility of Glycyrrhizea radix et rhizoma (Gancao) and Acontti lateralis Radix praparata (Fuzi).