ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Sheng-Huangmixture includingChinese medicine Shengmai Decoction and total flavonoids of stems and leaves of radix has been shown to resist inflammation, regulate immune function, and protect ischemic myocardial tissues. However, its effect on the apoptosis of cardiac muscle cels after ischemia/reperfusion injury remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects ofSheng-Huangmixture on cardiocyte apoptosis and bax and bcl-2 mRNA expression in rats with ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS:Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats weredivided randomly into six groups: low-dose, moderate-dose and high-doseSheng-Huangmixture, positive control, blank and model groups (n=6). After 7 days of administration, models of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury were established. TUNEL was usedto detect myocardial apoptosis. RT-PCR was utilized to measure bax and bcl-2 mRNA expression in the ischemic and reperfusion region. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) The bcl-2 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the Sheng-Huangmixture group than in the model group (P< 0.05), but bax mRNA expression was significantly lower (P< 0.05). Thus, bcl-2/bax ratio increased. In addition, apoptosis index was more significantly decreased in theSheng-Huangmixture group(P< 0.05). (2) Results demonstrated that Sheng-Huangmixture can protect rat myocardium against ischemia/reperfusion injury, and effectively increase the bcl-2/bax ratio andinhibit the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, and the underlying mechanism is mediated by up-regulating bcl-2 mRNA expression and down-regulating bax mRNA expression.