ABSTRACT
AIM: To observe the effects of herba houttuyniae injection, a chinese medicine, on myocardial injury induced by endotoxin and to explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: 24 male SD rats,weghting (250?30) g, were randomly divided into three groups: normal control group(NC, n=6), endotoxin group (ET, n=6), herba houttuyniae injection puls endotoxin group (HHI+ET, n=6) and herba houttuyniae injection group (HHI, n=6). Heart was isolated from rats and perfused on Langendorff apparatus with Krebs-Henseleit (KH) buffer (Saturation 95%+5%CO_2) at a constant pressure (8.33 kPa) and temperture(37℃). The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of efflux from coronary artery were measured at certain time points (0 min, 20 min, 50 min, 80 min). The ventricular function, the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) and the activity of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in myocardial tissue were also observed. RESULTS: Compared with ET group, the percentage recovery of the product of left ventricular pressure difference and heart rate [(LVSP-LVEDP)?HR], LVDP,+dp/dt_(max) were all increased apparently in HHI treatment group. The activities of SOD, SDH and the concentration of MDA, NO in HHI treatment group were close to that in normal control group. CONCLUSION: Herba houttuyniae injection protects myocardium against injury induced by endotoxin. It may be related to decrease in the level of NO, the strength of antioxidation, the stability of enzyme activities and the improvement of energy metabolism in myocardium.