[Therapeutic efficacy of oxymatrine on arrhythmia and heart rate variability in patients with coronary heart disease].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of oxymatrine (Oxy) on arrhythmia and heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) by Holter electrocardiogram and HRV indexes. METHODS: One hundred and ten patients with CHD and frequent arrhythmia were randomly divided into the Oxy group and the propafenone group, 55 cases in each group. Changes of general conditions, 48 hrs Holter electrocardiogram, frequency of premature beats, P-R interval, R-R interval and 24 hrs HRV index in patients before and after treatment were evaluated. RESULTS: The amount of both atrial and ventricular premature beats decreased markedly in both groups (P < 0.01). Propafenone showed better effect in reducing atrial premature beats than that of Oxy (P < 0.05), while the two had similar effect on ventricular premature beats (P > 0.05). HRV was elevated in both groups after treatment (P < 0.01), but the effect of Oxy was superior to that of propafenone after treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Oxymatrine could significantly improve HRV, and shows obvious effects on atrial and ventricular arrhythmia in patients with CHD.

[Progress of cardiovascular pharmacologic study on berbamine].

Berbamine (molecular formular C37H40N2O6) is a bi-benzle-isoquinolyl alkaloid extracted from Berberis poiretil Schneid (genus of Berberis, family of Beridaceae), a kind of Chinese plants. In aspect of cardiovascular pharmacology, berbamine shows actions of anti-arrhythmia, anti-myocardial ischemia, vasodilatating to lower blood pressure, and antithrombosis, it could lower heart function and heart rate. Study on its anti-arrhythmia was the deepest one. The significant anti-arrhythmia action can be achieved by inhibiting ionic channels of sodium, potassium, calcium, etc., negative frequency and negative transduction, improving the diastolic excitation threshold of myocardium, prolonging effective refractory period of myocardium. As a direction of researches on new type of antiarrhythmic herbs and herbal drugs, the study on berbamine is worthy of further research and development.