title: Effects of Wenyangzhenshuai Granule on ERK1/2 and ERK5 activity in the myocardial tissue in a rabbit model of adriamycin-induced chronic heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the effects of Wenyangzhenshuai granule on expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and 5 (ERK5) in the myocardial tissue using a rabbit model of adriamycin-induced chronic heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rabbits were divided into heart failure positive control, adriamycin injection, and adriamycin injection with Wenyangzhenshuai treatment (low, medium and high dose) groups. Cardiac function and cardiac hypotrophy were measured in all groups. Besides, myocardial expression of ERK1/2 and ERK5 phosphorylation were evaluated by Western blotting and ERK1/2 and ERK5 mRNA levels by RT-PCR. The cardiac structure and cardiac function were also compared using histology staining and electron microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adriamycin injection led to cardiac failure reflected by decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), E/A ratio, and increased cardiac hypertrophy, both of which have been improved by Wenyangzhenshuai granule treatment (all P<0.05). Mechanistically, increased P-ERK1/2 and decreased P-ERK5 levels were observed in myocardial tissues of mice treated with Adriamycin for 8 weeks. However, such signaling change could be partially corrected by Wenyangzhenshuai treatment. In addition, no significant difference was detected in the expression of ERK1/2 and ERK5 mRNA levels between adriamycin injection groups and Wenyangzhenshuai treatment groups (P>0.05), indicating an alteration in the activity/phosphorylation levels of these proteins instead of the transcription levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  we found a beneficial effect of Wenyangzhenshuai treatment in partially decelerating the progression of CHF. Such effect was probably through the role of Wenyangzhenchuan in diminishing p-ERK1/2 and raising p-ERK5 level in myocardial tissue.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Xinyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Huzhi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Changsha 410208, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Qingyang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Haibo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Yuemei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Changsha 410208, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
keywords: Chronic heart failure; ERK1/2; ERK5; Wenyangzhenshuai granule; adriamycin; myocardial tissue