Effect of Reinforcing Qi and Activating Blood Recipe on Ventricular Remodeling in Rats with Chronic Heart Failure and Mechanisms Involved / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective::To observe the intervention effect of Yiqi Huoxue recipe (YQHX) on ventricular remodeling in rats with chronic heart failure, in order to explore its mechanism. Method::Among 40 male SD rats, 10 were randomly selected as the sham operation group. The left anterior descending coronary artery ligation was performed to construct the chronic heart failure(CHF) rat model. After modeling, they were randomly divided into model group, captopril group(13.5 mg·kg-1·d-1) and YQHX group (20 g·kg-1·d-1), and orally given the corresponding drugs. After 8 weeks of intervention, cardiac tissues were collected, body mass and heart mass were weighed, and echocardiography were performed to detect the changes in cardiac structure. Masson staining was performed to determine the myocardial interstitial collagen volume fraction. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of mitochondrial fusion protein optic atrophy 1 (Opa1) and cleavage protein dynamic-related protein 1 (Drpl). The quantitative real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR)was applied to detect the expressions of Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related factors such as lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6), glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and β-catenin. Result::Compared with the sham group, the left ventricular wall of the model group was significantly thickened (P<0.05), the cardiac cavity was significantly enlarged, and the content of collagen in the myocardial interstitium was increased (P<0.01). The expression level of Opal decreased, the expression level of Drp1 increased (P<0.05), the mRNA expression level of LRP6, GSK-3, and β-catenin increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, YQHX group can reduce ventricular wall thickening, heart chamber enlargement, myocardial interstitial collagen content, up-regulate the low expression of Opa1, but down-regulate the high expressions of Drpl, LRP6, GSK-3β, β-catenin(P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion::YQHX can effectively alleviate ventricular remodeling and improve mitochondrial energy metabolism in rats with CHF. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin related factors.