title: Effects of Astragaloside IV on heart failure in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Astragaloside IV (ASI) in Radix Astragali is believed to be the active component in treating heart failure. The present study aims to examine the effects of ASI on cardiovascular parameters in long-term heart failure in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using echocardiographic and haemodynamic measurements, we studied the effects of ASI on congestive heart failure (CHF) induced by ligation of the left coronary artery in rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ASI (0.1, 0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg/day) attenuated the decline of fractional shortening (FS). The peak derivatives of the left ventricle (LV) pressure (dp/dt) in ASI-treated groups significantly increased. Both LV internal diameters in diastole (LVIDd) and in systole (LVIDs) decreased significantly after ASI treatment (0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg/day). ASI (1.0 mg/kg/day) attenuated the decrease of LV systolic pressure (LVSP). ASI treatment inhibited compensatory hypertrophy of myocardial cells and lowered the number of apoptotic myocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASI improved cardiac functions as measured by cardiovascular parameters.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin, PR China. 23006858@163.com
authors.forename: Zhuanyou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Weiting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kerui
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yingmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Weiren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Lida
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang