[Effects of tongxinluo on the myocardial inflammatory reaction and expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in rats with myocardial infarction].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of Tongxinluo (TXL) on myocardial inflammatory reaction and expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in rats with myocardial infarction (MI).


METHODS
The rat MI model was established by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. Experimental rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: the sham operated group, the MI control group and the TXL group (treated by 2.0 g/ kg/day). Conditions of inflammatory cellular infiltration in the infarcted and non-infarcted zone were observed at 1, 2 and 4 weeks after MI with histopathological methods, and the expression of TNF-alpha was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot.


RESULTS
Obvious inflammatory cellular infiltration revealed in both infarcted and non-infarcted zone of model rats at 1-2 weeks after MI, it faded away gradually 4 weeks after MI, while the TNF-alpha expression increased continuously after MI. Compared with the MI control, the infiltration was milder and TNF-alpha expression was lower in the TXL group.


CONCLUSIONS
TXL displays its anti-inflammatory action by way of attenuating the myocardial inflammatory reaction and suppressing the expression of inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha in MI rats.
Kong
Qiang
Q
Heart Center, Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to the Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing.
Yang
Xin-chun
XC
Liu
Xiu-lan
XL
D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction; D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha