Protective effect of terpenes from fructus corni on the cardiomyopathy in alloxan-induced diabetic mice / 中国应用生理学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protective effects of terpenes from fructus corni (TFC) on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Diabetes was produced by a single injection of alloxan (220 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice. The fasting blood glucose of mice were tested 15 days later and that greater than 13.9 mmol/L were regarded as the diabetic mice which were divided randomly into the model and TFC groups. TFC dissolved by physiological saline (P.O, 80 mg/kg) was administrated to the TFC group for successive 8 weeks since the 15th day.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared to the control group, the weight index increased significantly. The level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was markedly decreased and malondialdehyde(MDA), the inflammatory factors (TNF-alpha, IL-6) were obviously increased in myocardium. The histopathological examination suggested that myocardial cells disarranged, swelling and the intercellular space increased in model group. It also showed the infiltration of inflammatory cells and fibroblasts in TFC group. The above change was improved significantly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TFC ameliorated the alterations of cardiomyopathy in diabetic mice induced by alloxan. the mechanism might be related to decrease blood glucose, antioxidative stress and inflammatory factors.</p>