Guanxin Danshen Formulation Protects against Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion Injury-Induced Left Ventricular Remodeling by Upregulating Estrogen Receptor ß.

Background: Guanxin Danshen formulation (GXDSF) is a traditional Chinese herbal recipe recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopeia since 1995 edition, which consists of Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Dalbergiae odoriferae Lignum. Our previous research suggested GXDSF had positive effect on cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of GXDSF on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury-induced left ventricular remodelling (MIRI-LVR). Methods: The effects of GXDSF on cardiac function were detected by haemodynamics and echocardiograms. The effects of GXDSF on biochemical parameters (AST, LDH and CK-MB) were analyzed. Histopathologic examinations were performed to evaluate the effect of GXDSF on cardiac structure. In addition, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database was used to predict the main target of GXDSF. Target validation was conducted by using western blots and immunofluorescent double staining assays. Results: We found that +dp/dt and LVSP were significantly elevated in the GXDSF-treated groups compared with the MIRI-LVR model group. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) were increased in the GXDSF-treated groups compared with the model group. All biochemical parameters (AST, LDH and CK-MB) were considerably decreased in the GXDSF-treated groups compared with the model group. Fibrosis parameters (collagen I and III, α-SMA, and left ventricular fibrosis percentage) were decreased to different degrees in the GXDSF-treated groups compared with the model group, and the collagen III/I ratio was elevated by the same treatments. TCMSP database prediction and western blot results indicated that estrogen receptor ß (ERß) could be the main target of GXDSF. PHTPP, a selective antagonist of ERß, could inhibit the expression of ERß and the phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt in myocardial tissue induced by GXDSF, and partly normalize the improving effects of GXDSF on +dp/dt, LVEF, LVFS, LDH, CK-MB, α-SMA and myocardial fibrosis. Conclusion: Collectively, GXDSF showed therapeutic potential for use in the prevention and treatment of myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury-induced ventricular remodeling by upregulating ERß via PI3K/Akt signaling. Moreover, these findings may be valuable in understand the mechanism of disease and provide a potential therapy of MIRI-IVR.

The chronic hepatotoxicity assessment of the herbal formula Zishen Yutai pill.

Zishen Yutai pill (ZYP) is an oriental herbal formula, while hepatotoxicity assessment of ZYP was rarely evaluated. Therefore, our aim is to re-evaluate its hepatotoxicity in both normal and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced chronic liver injury rats. In the normal model, two doses of ZYP (1.575 and 9.450 g kg-1 d-1; i.e. 1 × , 6 × clinical doses) were given orally to rats for 24 weeks. In the chronic liver injury model, 10% CCl4 was administered to rats abdominally twice a week at a dose of 5 mL kg-1 for 12 consecutive weeks. Administration time started from 4 weeks after the beginning of CCl4 treatment. Toxicological parameters included mortality, body weight, food consumption, clinical signs, biochemical parameters, gross observation, organ weight, necropsy findings and histopathology were monitored. In the normal model, we found no any mortality or abnormality in clinical signs, relative liver weight, biochemical parameters and histopathology in ZYP treatment groups. In the chronic liver injury model, liver damage related parameter such as ALT was elevated at the high dose of ZYP treatment in contrast to the CCl4-treated group (P < 0.01). In histopathological assessment, there were no significant difference between ZYP treatment groups and CCl4-treated group. No observed adverse effect on livers were established for 9.450 g kg-1 d-1 ZYP in the normal rats and 9.450 g kg-1 d-1 ZYP in the injury rats.

[Research progress of Guanxin Danshen formula and its effective components in treating coronary artery heart disease].

Coronary artery heart disease (CHD) is one of the common cardiovascular diseases in clinical. The morbidity and mortality of CHD recently continue increasing in our country, which has aroused wide attention. Many studies confirm that traditional Chinese medicine has better therapeutic effect on CHD. Guanxin Danshen formula, widely used in the treatment of CHD, consists of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and volatile oil from Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum, and has the efficacy in promoting blood circulation to resolve stasis, regulating the circulation of Qi and alleviating pain. This review summarized the pharmacologic effects and mechanism of Guanxin Danshen formula and its effective components in the treatment of CHD to provide reference for its fundamental research and clinical application.

[Research progress in epigenetic regulation of myocardial ischemia/ reperfusion injury by traditional Chinese medicine].

Epigenetic is a hotspot of post-genomic era research, and epigenetic modification is a mechanism in the study of cardiovascular disease. Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) is one of the problems in the cardiovascular disease, and many experimental interventions are reported in the protection of the ischemic myocardium in experimental animals. However, with the exception of early reperfusion, none has been translated into clinical practice. There is an advantage of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the regulation of epigenetic modification, and pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. This review article is prepared to cover the research progress in the treatment of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by TCM with a focus on epigenetic regulation. The epigenetic regulation is documented in TCM theory through a systematic review of the protecting drugs in the MIRI development guidelines.

[Phytoestrogens in application prospect of treatment of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury].

Reperfusion is the most effective treatment for acute myocardial infarction, markedly reducing mortality and morbidity. Reperfusion however induces necrotic and apoptotic damages to cardiomyocytes, that were viable prior to reperfusion, a process called myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury(MI/RI). Over the past 30 years, hundreds of experimental interventions (both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic) have been reported to protect the ischemic myocardium in experimental animals; however, with the exception of early reperfusion, none has been translated into clinical practice. The population-based survey assessed men have about twice the total incidence of morbidity and mortality of women, and the sex gap in morbidity tends to diminish after age 45 years. So hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is given to treat the MI/RI, and lots of studies shows that the side effect is greater for estrogen, compared with phyestrogen. In this article, we review the important pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury, the prevention and limitations of HRT. And we highlight the mechanism of phyestrogens treatment the MI/RI in experiment. The aim is to provide the theoretically new way of develop the safe and effective products for the researchers.

Antiinflammatory effects and chemical constituents of Veronicastrum axillare.

Our study aims to ascertain the antiinflammatory activity of Veronicastrum axillare and characterize the bioactive constituents. Antiinflammatory activity of the total extract and different fractions from V. axillare was investigated by employing the xylene-induced mouse ear edema model. As a result, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction showed the highest antiinflammatory activity in vivo. From the EtOAc fraction and the inactive dichloromethane fraction, a total of five new compounds, axillasides A-C and axillactones A and B, together with four known compounds, procumboside A, buergeriside C1 , indole-3-carboxylic acid and apigenin, were isolated and identified. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and by comparison of their nuclear magnetic resonance data with those reported in the literature. Procumboside A, a major constituent in EtOAc fraction, showed significant antiinflammatory activity in vivo. Further studies revealed that procumboside A was a potent COX-2 inhibitor, significantly reducing the COX-2 protein level in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Monoterpenoids from the whole herb of Veronicastrum axillare.

CONTEXT: Veronicastrum axillare (Sieb. et Zucc.) Yamazaki (Scrophulariaceae) embraces varieties of bioactivities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-pyresis and detoxification activity, while little is known of the phytochemical components of this medicinal plant. OBJECTIVE: To isolate and identify bioactive constituents from the whole herb of V. axillare. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethanol extract of the whole herb of V. axillare was subjected to successive column chromatography. Chemical structures of the compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analyses on the basis of NMR, IR and HR-MS data. RESULTS: A new monoterpenoid, axillacetal A (1) and a known analogue, tarumal (2), were isolated from the whole herb of V. axillare. The structure of tarumal (2) was also revised according to our NMR data. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This is the first report on the isolation and authentication of novel chemical constituents from V. axillare.