title: Cardoguard, an Ayurvedic antihypertensive formulation, prevents cardiac remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats by inhibition of ERK and PKCε signaling pathways.
abstract: Ayurveda is an Indian system of medicine. Despite clinical efficacy, lack of scientific validation has limited the effective use of Ayurvedic drugs. Cardoguard is an Ayurvedic antihypertensive drug formulated by Nagarjuna Herbal Concentrates Ltd., Kerala, India. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a modifiable risk factor, and regression of LVH reduces the propensity for adverse cardiovascular events. This study was taken up with the objective of evaluating the efficacy of Cardoguard in the prevention of cardiac remodeling. Cardoguard was administered orally to 2-month-old spontaneously hypertensive rats for 4 months at a dose of 5 mg·day(-1). The dose corresponds to the therapeutic dose calculated on the basis of body surface area. Lower hypertrophy index, decrease in cardiomyocyte area, and reduction of interstitial fibrosis in treated spontaneously hypertensive rats indicate amelioration of cardiac hypertrophy by Cardoguard. Cardiac output increased in response to treatment. Immunostaining for the phosphorylated components of major signaling pathways associated with hypertrophy suggests that prevention of LVH by Cardoguard is possibly mediated through inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinases and protein kinase C-ε signaling pathways. Reduced expression of 3-nitrotyrosine in response to the treatment suggests that prevention of cardiac remodeling by Cardoguard is mediated by reduction of oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular and Molecular Cardiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Vandana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sankar
authors.forename: Renuka R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: Vijayakumar S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Harikrishnan
authors.forename: Adelaide C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Cherumanal S Krishna
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Viswanathamenon
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Madhavachandran
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004719:Endomyocardial Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051744:Protein Kinase C-epsilon / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; C002744:3-nitrotyrosine; D014443:Tyrosine; D051744:Protein Kinase C-epsilon; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases