title: Kudiezi injection mitigates myocardial injury induced by acute cerebral ischemia in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Kudiezi (KDZ) injection is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine as treatment for cerebral infarction and angina pectoris. The present study investigated the therapeutic effects of KDZ injection on myocardial injury induced by acute cerebral ischemia and the possibly protective mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were divided into three groups: sham, 6h-ischemia, and KDZ treatment (KDZ). The neurological deficits were determined by the Garcia score. The cerebral infarct volume was measured by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, and brain water content was also evaluated. Serum creatinine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) activity, myocardial tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, L-Glutathione (GSH) levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as well as mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity were determined. Mitochondrial COX I and COX III mRNA expressions of myocardial tissues were measured by RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Impaired neurological function and brain edema were observed in the 6h-ischemia group. TTC staining showed that the 6h-ischemia group had larger infarct zones than the sham group. Myocardial ischemic changes (widened myocardial cell gap, cracks, and obvious edema) were detected in the 6h-ischemia group compared with the sham group, with elevated serum CK-MB activity and CK and LDH levels. Electrocardiography showed lower medium frequency (MF) and high frequency (HF) in the 6h-ischemia group compared with the sham group. In myocardial tissue, COX activity was elevated in the 6h-ischemia compared with the sham group, while SOD, GSH, and MDA levels, and COX I and COX III mRNA expressions remained unchanged. KDZ injection decreased neurological impairment, brain edema, gaps between cells, and infarct size. Compared with the 6h-ischemia group, it reduced serum CK-MB activity and CK and LDH levels, and MDA levels in myocardial tissue. KDZ significantly increased GSH levels, SOD activity, and mitochondria COX activity and the expression of COX I and COX III mRNA in myocardial tissue compared with the sham group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  KDZ injection had a protective effect against cerebral ischemia in rats. KDZ injection could also alleviate myocardial injury after acute cerebral ischemia in rats. The possible mechanisms involve the regulation of the oxidative stress/antioxidant capacity after cerebral ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 6 Zone One of Fangxingyuan, Fang Zhuang, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100078, China.
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Patent Examination Coperation Center of the Patent Office, SIPO, Beijing, 100190, China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 6 Zone One of Fangxingyuan, Fang Zhuang, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100078, China.
authors.forename: Fengli
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 2 YinghuaDongjie, Hepingli, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 6 Zone One of Fangxingyuan, Fang Zhuang, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100078, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 6 Zone One of Fangxingyuan, Fang Zhuang, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100078, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 6 Zone One of Fangxingyuan, Fang Zhuang, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100078, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 6 Zone One of Fangxingyuan, Fang Zhuang, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100078, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane Room 494, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangning
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 6 Zone One of Fangxingyuan, Fang Zhuang, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100078, China. liuxuemei04@126.com.
authors.forename: Yunling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione
keywords: Cerebral ischemia; Kudiezi injection; Mitochondria; Myocardial injury; Oxidative stress