title: Effect and mechanism of Qishen Yiqi Pills on adriamycin- induced cardiomyopathy in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect and probable mechanism of Qishen Yiqi Pills on adriamycin (ADR)-induced cardiomyopathy in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four mice were randomly divided into (1) the ADR group: saline (1 mL/100 g) administered every day by intragavage, ADR (4 mg·kg(-1)) administered to each mouse by intraperitoneal injection twice a week for four weeks; (2) the ADR + Qishen Yiqi Pills I group: ADR (4 mg·kg(-1)) administered to each mouse by intraperitoneal injection twice a week for four weeks, and at the beginning of the third week Qishen Yiqi Pills (3.5 mg/100 g) administered by intragavage every day for four weeks; (3) the ADR + Qishen Yiqi Pills II group: ADR (4 mg·kg(-1)) administered to each mouse by intraperitoneal injection twice a week for four weeks, and at the same time Qishen Yiqi Pills (3.5 mg/100 g) administered by intragavage every day for four weeks; (4) the control group: saline (1 mL/100 g) administered every day by intragavage, saline (1 mL·kg(-1)) administered to each mouse by intraperitoneal injection twice a week for four weeks. Six weeks later, cardiac function, myocardial pathology, and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1. The left ventricular diastolic diameter and the left ventricular systolic diameter were significantly increased (P < 0.05) and the left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in the ADR group, and the cardiac function of both the ADR + Qishen Yiqi Pills I group and the ADR + Qishen Yiqi Pills II group improved. 2. Myocardial morphologic observation showed that the myocardial fibers were disordered, there was cell edema, and gap widening in the ADR group. The degree of myocardial cell injury was reduced in the ADR + Qishen Yiqi Pills I group and ADR + Qishen Yiqi Pills II group compared with the ADR group. 3. The expression of Bax in the ADR group was significantly up-regulated, and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly downregulated in the ADR group compared with the ADR + Qishen Yiqi Pills I group, the ADR + Qishen Yiqi Pills II group, and the control group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Qishen Yiqi Pills can effectively improve the cardiac function of ADR-induced cardiomyopathy, and the earlier it is used is better. The probable mechanism of action may be the inhibition of the apoptosis of myocardial cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China. Electronic address: jytong88@163.com.
authors.forename: Jia-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Jiangsu Provincial Hospital, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Ye-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Bo
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Yi
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C528580:qishen yiqi; D004317:Doxorubicin
keywords: Adriamycin-induced cardiomyopathy; Apoptosis; Bax; Bcl-2; Qishen Yiqi Pills