ABSTRACT
Objective: To observe the reversal and prevention effect of New Shengmai Decoction on the rats’ cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by adriamycin, and provide the experimental foundation basis for the clinical treatment of myocardial injury induced by adriamycin. Method: The rat models with cardiomyocyte apoptosis were established by adriamycin. Forty male SD rats were divided randomly into four groups, including the normal group, the adriamycin model group, the captopril group and the New Shengmai Decoction group. During the experiment, the mental state, activity, feeding, hair color and other conditions of the rats were observed. After 6 weeks of treatment, the cardiac function and left ventricular hypertrophy of rats were measured and the pathological changes of myocardium were observed by HE staining. And the apoptosis of myocardial cells was observed by TUNEL staining and protein expressions of Caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bax were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: Compared with the control group, the cardiac function of the model group was significantly decreased. Compared with the model group, the cardiac function of rats after the different drugs’ treatment could be improved in the different degrees and the effect of the New Shengmai Decoction group was significant. Compared with the control group, the heart body ratio, left ventricular hypertrophy index and myocardial cell apoptosis index in the model group were all significantly increased. Compared with the model group, the captopril group and the New Shengmai Decoction group ameliorated cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial cell apoptosis in rats. Compared with the control group, the expression level of bcl-2 protein in the model group was decreased, while the expression level of Bax and Caspase-3 protein was increased. Compared with the model group, captopril and the New Shengmai Decoction increased the expression level of bcl-2 protein and decreased the expression level of Bax and Caspase-3 protein. Conclusion: The New Shengmai Decoction can improve the cardiac function and lessen cardiomyocyte apoptosis of rats. It can also decrease the expression of protein Caspase-3 in the cardiac muscle of rats or inhibit its activity. In order to restrain cardiomyocyte apoptosis, the New Shengmai Decoction can increase the expression of protein Bcl-2 and decrease the expression of protein Bax through improving the expression of Bcl-2/Bax in the cardiac muscle of rats.