title: Protective effects of traditional Tibetan medicine Zuo-Mu-A Decoction () on the blood parameters and myocardium of high altitude polycythemia model rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the protective effects of Tibetan medicine Zuo-Mu-A Decoction (, ZMAD) on the blood parameters and myocardium of high altitude polycythemia (HAPC) model rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups by a random number table, including the normal, model, Rhodiola rosea L. (RRL) and ZMAD groups (10 in each group). Every group was raised in Lhasa to create a HAPC model except the normal group. After modeling, rats in the RRL and the ZMAD groups were administered intragastrically with RRL (20 mL/kg) and ZMAD (7.5 mL/kg) once a day for 2 months, respectively; for the normal and the model groups, 5 mL of distilled water was administered intragastrically instead of decoction. Then routine blood and hematologic rheology parameters were taken, levels of erythropoietin and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were tested, and ultrastructural change in the left ventricular myocardium was observed using transmission electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the model group, ZMAD significantly reduced the red blood cell count, hemoglobin levels, whole blood viscosity at low/middle shear rates, plasma viscosity, erythrocyte electrophoretic time, erythropoietin and 8-OHdG levels, and also increased the erythrocyte deformation index (P<0.05). There was no difference in all results between the RRL and the ZMAD groups. The cardiac muscle fibers were well-protected, mitochondrial matrix swelled mildly and ultrastructure changes were less prominent in the ZMAD group compared with the model group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ZMAD has significant protective effects on the blood parameters against HAPC, and also has the beneficial effect in protecting against myocardial injury.
authors.affiliation: School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Meng-Qian
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Tibetan Traditional Medical College, Lhasa, 850000, China. bairizerendawa@163.com.
authors.forename: Nyima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsring
authors.affiliation: School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. yutianyuan@sina.com.
authors.forename: Tian-Yuan
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Tuina, Beijing Massage Hospital, Beijing, 100035, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Cong
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Information Center, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Yong
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Tibet Academy of Tibetan Medicine, Lhasa, 850000, China.
authors.forename: Pasang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dekyi
authors.affiliation: School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Si-Tong
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.affiliation: Tibetan Traditional Medical College, Lhasa, 850000, China.
authors.forename: Dorje
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rinchen
authors.affiliation: Center of Scientific Experiment, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Qiu
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Lin-Feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Bin-Bin
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood; D038861:Medicine, Tibetan Traditional; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011086:Polycythemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012212:Rheology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D020011:Protective Agents; D004921:Erythropoietin; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D003849:Deoxyguanosine
keywords: erythropoietin; hematology; high altitude polycythemia; myocardium; traditional medicine