| Background: Xin-Ji-Er-Kang(XJEK)is a Chinese herbal formula,which has been reported to exert effective protection on cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and myocarditis.Purpose: To elucidate the protective effects of XJEK on heart failure(HF)induced by myocardial infarction(MI)through amelioration of inflammation,oxidative stress(OS)and endothelial dysfunction(ED).Materials and Methods: Fifty-seven male KM mice were randomized into the following six groups(n=9-10 for each): control group,model group,MI+XJEK low dose group(XJEKL)group,MI+XJEK middle dose group(XJEKM),MI+XJEK high dose group(XJEKH),and MI+fosinopril group.After treatment for four weeks,electrocardiography(ECG)and haemodynamics were recorded.Serum and tissues were collected for further analysis.Endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by acetylcholine was assessed in isolated thoracic aorta ring experiment.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)and Van Gieson(VG)staining were used to detect the pathological changes of heart and thoracic aorta.Colorimetric analysis was employed to determine serum nitric oxide level(NO),malondialdehyde(MDA)concentration and superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity.ELISA was used to detect serum B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP)and serum inflammatory cytokines,as well as endothelial NO synthetase(e NOS),angiotensin II(Ang II)and endothelin-1(ET-1)concentration in both serum and cardiac tissues,e NOs was also measured by immunofluorescence,immunohistochemistry and western blot(WB)in cardiac tissues.ELISA and WB were employed to detect inflammatory cytokine expressions in serum and cardiac tissues.Results: XJEK administration markedly ameliorated cardiac dysfunction and abnormal ECG manifested by decreased weight/body weight(HW/BW)ratio,BNP and remedied hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes and deposition of collagen,which might be in part attributed to the increased SOD and decreased MDA in serum.Furthermore,XJEK administration improved ED with boosted e NOS activities in serum and cardiac tissues,as well as up-regulated NO levels in serum,down-regulated Ang II and ET-1 content in serum and cardiac tissues.Lastly,expression of pro-inflammation cytokines(TNF-α and IL-1β)significantly decreased and anti-inflammatory cytokine(IL-10)was significantly enhanced in serum and cardiac tissues compared to model group.Conclusion: XJEK may exert beneficial effects on HF induced by MI in mice,and the underlying mechanism may be attributable to the amelioration of ED,anti-OS and anti-inflammation effects. |
PDF Full Text Request