akebia-saponin-d and Myocardial-Infarction

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of Asperosaponin VI (ASA VI), a triterpene saponin isolated from Dipsacus asper Wall, on chronic myocardial infarction (MI) and possible mechanisms in rats. MI was induced by permanent ligation of the left coronary artery. Twenty-four hours after MI, the rats were administered the extract by gavage (once a day). Six weeks after MI/sham surgery, cardiac dysfunction, infarct size (IS), cardiac fibrosis, hydroxyproline concentration, the oxidative stress parameter and inflammation mediators were examined. The results indicated that ASA VI improved left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), ±dP/dt, heart weight/body weight, right ventricular weight/body weight and lung weight/body weight (P<0.01, P<0.05). These were accompanied by the attenuation of cardiac fibrosis, IS and hydroxyproline concentration (P<0.01, P<0.05). ASA VI could decrease the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), but increase IL-10 content (P<0.01, P<0.05). Furthermore, it also could raise the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), but reduce malonyldialdehyde (MDA) level (P<0.01, P<0.05). The results indicated that ASA VI improved cardiac function and myocardial fibrosis from myocardial ischemia injury, and this cardioprotection might be attributed to reduce oxidative stress and regulate inflammation mediators.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Body Weight; Disease Models, Animal; Fibrosis; Interleukin-10; Interleukin-6; Male; Myocardial Infarction; Organ Size; Oxidative Stress; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Saponins; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Asperosaponin VI is a saponin of the medicinal herb Dipsacus asper (Xuduan), and no pharmacological activity has been reported yet. In this study, we investigated the anti-myocardial ischemia effects of Asperosaponin VI (ASA VI) both in vivo and in vitro. An animal model of myocardial ischemia(MI) injury was induced by coronary occlusion, pretreatment with ASA VI (10 and 20mg/kg, i.v.) could protect the heart from ischemia injury by decreasing the levels of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in serum, increasing the levels of catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in heart, and decreasing that of malondialdehyde (MDA) level in acute MI rats. ASA VI also raised the activities of mitochondrial enzymes (succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (alpha-KGDH)) and those of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, but lowered Ca(2+) level. Electrocardiograph parameters and histopathological observations demonstrated the same protective effects. In vitro experiment, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were incubated to test the direct cytoprotective effect of ASA VI against H(2)O(2) exposure. Pretreatment with ASA VI (30 and 60 microg/ml) prior to H(2)O(2) exposure increased cell viability and inhibited H(2)O(2)-induced reactive oxygen species increase. ASA VI (15, 30 and 60 microg/ml) also increased the activities of LDH in the cultured supernatant and SOD in cardiomyocytes, but decreased the cardiomyocytes MDA level. Our results suggested that ASA VI could provide significant cardioprotective effects against acute MI in rats. The mechanisms might be attributed to scavenging lipid peroxidation products and reactive oxygen species, increasing antioxidant defense enzymes and preventing mitochondrial damage.

Topics: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Cells, Cultured; Dipsacaceae; Electrocardiography; Heart; Hydrogen Peroxide; Male; Mitochondria; Myocardial Infarction; Myocardial Ischemia; Myocytes, Cardiac; Oxidative Stress; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Saponins; Survival Rate; Triterpenes