| Objective To study the effects of Rho-kinase inhibitor, fasudil on protection the myocardium in rats after acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods 29 female wistar rats were subjected to left anterior descending coronary artery(LAD) ligation and were divided randomly into three groups: sham operation group(not ligation of LAD),AMI group and treated group.1h before surgery the rats were received normal saline 0.5ml(sham group and AMI group)and 30mg/kg fasudil(treated group). At 24 hours after coronary ligation, the rats were sacrificed. The infarct size and ischemia size were determined by evans-bule and TTC double staining. The apoptotic cardiocyte in the ischemia region was determined by TUNEL assay and the apoptotic index(AI) were calculated. The bcl-2 and bax protein expressions were measured by immunohistochemical staining. The Rho-kinase mRNA expression in the ischemia region was measured by RT-PCR.Results The infarct size was reduced obviously in treated group compared with that in AMI group(26.04±2.51%vs32.27±3.07%,P<0.01).The AI significant increased in AMI group compared with that in sham group, (31.94±3.03% vs 2.44±1.37%, P<0.01). and in treated group the AI reduced sharply compared with that in AMI group(18.39±1.53% vs 31.94±3.03%,P<0.01). The overexpression of Rho-kinase mRNA was attenuated by Rho-kinase. Meanwhile AMI induced downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax in myocardium was remarkably attenuated in the treated animals. Conclusion Rho-kinase plays an important role in cardiocyte apoptosis which was induced by AMI and the cardiac protection provided by pretreatment with fasudil is likely via anti-apoptotic effect.
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