Protective effect of Shenfu injection on myocardial mitochondria injured by ischemia-reperfusion in rabbits
Cao, J.; Zheng, C-dong.; Zhang, G-xin.; Zhang, Y-jun.; Min, S.
Chinese Medical Journal 118(6): 505-507
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0366-6999 PMID: 15788134 Document Number: 584656
An experiment was conducted on mature Japanese big-ear rabbits to study the protective effects of Shenfu injection (SFI; traditional Chinese medicine with ginsenoside and higenamine as its main active components) on ischaemic-reperfused rabbit heart and to determine its effect on mitochondrial oxygen free radical (OFR), Ca2+ and mitochondrial ultrastructure. SFI was added at 1, 5, 10 and 15% in St. Thomas crystal cardioplegic solution and applied to groups SF1, SF5, SF10 and SF15, respectively. SFI decreased the leakage of myocardial enzyme indicating that SFI has some protective effect on myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury. SFI showed good mitochondrial protective effects in SF5 and SF10, and had slight effect in SF1. SF15 did not show reduction in mitochondrial injury. SFI significantly decreased the mitochondrial MDA level and 5% SFI was the optimum concentration. MDA concentration increased along with an increase in SFI concentration, but was still lower than that of the control. The appropriate SFI concentration decreased Ca2+ overload. When SFI concentration was 15%, the mitochondrial Ca2+ overload increased; leakage of myocardial enzyme and mitochondrial ultrastructural damage were worse than in the control. However, at the same time, the MDA level was still lower than in the control.