Effects of Nelumbinis Semen on contractile dysfunction in ischemic and reperfused rat heart.
Nelumbinis Semen (NS), or lotus seed, is one of the most well-known traditional herbal medicines and is frequently used to treat cardiovascular symptoms in Korea. The anti-ischemic effects of NS on ischemia-induced isolated rat heart were investigated through analyses of changes in blood pressure, aortic flow, coronary flow, and cardiac output. The subjects in this study were divided into two groups: a control, untreated ischemia-induced group, and an ischemia-induced group treated with NS. There were no significant differences in perfusion pressure, aortic flow, coronary flow and cardiac output between the groups before ischemia was induced. The supply of oxygen and buffer was stopped for ten minutes to induce ischemia in isolated rat hearts, and NS was administered during ischemia induction. NS treatment significantly prevented decreases in perfusion pressure, aortic flow, coronary flow and cardiac output under ischemic conditions (p < 0.01). In addition, the mechanism of the anti-ischemic effects of NS was also examined through quantitation of intracellular calcium content in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. NS significantly prevented intracellular calcium increases induced by isoproterenol (p < 0.01). These results suggest that NS has distinct anti-ischemic effects through calcium antagonism.
Kim
Jong-Hoon
JH
Department of Physiology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung-Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
Kang
Moonkyu
M
Cho
Chongwoon
C
Chung
Hwan-Suck
HS
Kang
Chang-Woon
CW
Parvez
Shoukat
S
Bae
Hyunsu
H
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D000070116:Lotus / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry
D010936:Plant Extracts; D002118:Calcium