title: [Effects of a compound Chinese medicine Xinji' erkang on isoproterenol-induced ventricular remodeling in mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of Xinji' erkang (XJEK), a compound Chinese herbal medicine, on isoproterenol-induced ventricular remodeling in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Isoproterenol was given subcutaneously (1 mg/kg, twice per day for 7 d) to induce ventricular remodeling in mice. Mice were divided into normal control group, model group, XJEK low-, medium- and high- dose groups, XJEK water layer group, XJEK n-butanol layer group and metoprolol group. All drugs were given by intragastric administration. At the end of the 7th day, the hearts of the rats were weighted, and myocardial hypertrophy index was expressed as heart weight/body weight (HW/BW). The histological changes were observed by hemotoxylin-eosin and Van Gieson staining. Colorimetric method was used to determine the content of hydroxyproline in heart, and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the isoproterenol injection only, XJEK potently inhibited cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and the increase of hydroxyproline content in heart (P<0.01), improved cardiac pathology change, inhibited the decrease of SOD activity and the increase of MDA content in serum (P<0.01). XJEK water layer also inhibited the increase of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy (P<0.01) while XJEK n-butanol layer inhibited cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  XJEK possesses protective effects against isoproterenol-induced ventricular remodeling in mice, which may be related to its actions in reducing the oxidative stress and improving the antioxidant activity of the body. XJEK water layer and XJEK n-butanol layer attenuated ventricular remodeling without significant oxidative stress state changing, which indicates that a non-antioxidative stress mechanism may exist.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui Province, China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xing-hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ling-ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ting-ting
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Su-ming
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Yan-wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C114866:erkang; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D007545:Isoproterenol