title: Protective effects of salvianolate on microvascular flow in a porcine model of myocardial ischaemia and reperfusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microvascular reflow is crucial for myocyte survival during ischaemia/reperfusion injury.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to assess if salvianolate, a highly purified aqueous extract from Radix salviae miltiorrhizae, could improve impaired microvascular reflow induced by ischaemia/reperfusion injury, using a porcine closed-chest model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Left anterior descending coronary artery ligation was created by balloon occlusion for 2 h followed by reperfusion for 14 days. Salvianolate was administrated intravenously for 7 days at low dose (5 mg/kg/day), high dose (10 mg/kg/day) or high dose combined with one 20 mg intracoronary bolus injection just at the beginning of reperfusion. Control-group animals were only given the same volume of saline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 14 days of reperfusion, animals treated with high-dose salvianolate showed improved myocardial perfusion assessed by real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography and coloured microspheres. The beneficial effect was further supported by increased capillary density and decreased infarct size. All these effects eventually resulted in well-preserved cardiac function detected by echocardiography. Moreover, we also demonstrated that salvianolate administration was associated with elevated superoxide dismutase activity, thioredoxin activity and glutathione concentration, and reduced malondialdehyde concentration, which, in turn, resulted in a significant decrease in terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling-positive cells and an increased ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravenous salvianolate at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day for 7 days had significant beneficial effects on myocardial microvascular reflow, which were associated with decreased oxidative stress and apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China.
authors.forename: Beibei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qingyong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Junbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Shixin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D013879:Thioredoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C561960:salvianolate; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013879:Thioredoxins; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione