RESUMEN
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of Shumai Capsule (SMC) on angiogenesis and expression of relevant growth factor in rats with myocardial ischemia (MI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Model rats of MI were duplicated and treated with SMC (SMC group), bFGF + calparine (positive control group) and normal saline (model group) respectively. Besides, a sham-operative group was set up and treated with normal saline. The rats were sacrificed in batches at the time after being medicated for 1, 2 and 4 weeks, for determining von Willebrand factor (vWF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein expression in ischemic myocardium by immuno-histochemical staining, myocardial micro-vessel density (MVD) using digital analysis system, and the gene expression of VEGF by quantitative real-time PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the sham-operative group and the model group, levels of MVD, protein and gene expression of VEGF in the SMC group were higher respectively at three time segments (all P <0.01), but showed insignificant difference to those in the positive control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SMC could promote angiogenesis in ischemic myocardium of rats, the up-regulation on VEGF mRNA and protein expression might be one of the potential mechanisms of SMC in promoting angiogenesis.</p>