• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.23-35
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• 2016

Objectives: The objective of this study is to demonstrate the cardioprotective effects of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Radix (SMR) on the pressure overload (PO)-induced heart failure (HF) by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in C57BL/6 mice through possible antioxidant effects. Methods: The mortality, body and heart weights, antioxidant defense system of the heart and histopathology of heart were analyzed. The obtained results were compared with resveratrol, in which potent cardioprotective effects on TAC mice model were already proved at a dose level of 10 mg/kg by antioxidant effects, as reference in this experiment. Results: Significant increases of mortalities, heart weights, and hypertrophic, lytic and focal fibrotic histological changes in the left ventricles were found with defects of heart antioxidant defense systems - the increases of heart cortex MDA contents, decreases of GSH contents, SOD and CAT activities in TAC control mice as compared with sham vehicle control mice, respectively. However, these HF signs induced by TAC surgery through PO and destroys heart antioxidant defense systems were significantly and dose-dependently inhibited by 14 days continuous oral treatment of SMR 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg, similar to those of resveratrol 10 mg/kg in SMR 125 mg/kg. Conclusions: The results obtained in this study propose that oral administration of SMR potently alleviates PO-induced HF by TAC, through augmentation of heart antioxidant defense system.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.624-636
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effect of the potent antioxidant properties of Scrophulariae Radix (SR) aqueous extracts by examining pressure overload (PO) heart failure (HF) induced by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) of C57BL/6 mice. Methods: SR (500, 250, 125 mg/kg) and resveratrol (10 mg/kg) were administered orally once a day for 14 days, after the TAC operation. Changes in mortality, the body and heart weights, histopathology of the heart, and antioxidant defense system of the heart were analyzed. Results: After the TAC operation, increases were observed in mortality, heart weights, left ventricular hypertrophy, and lytic and focal fibrotic histological change, and destruction of the heart antioxidant defense system. However, the HF signs showed dose-dependent inhibition following 14 days of continuous oral treatment with SR. A SR dose of 125 mg/kg gave a similar inhibition to that obtained with resveratrol at 10 mg/kg. Conclusions: Oral administration of SR beneficially improves PO-induced HF following TAC surgery by increasing the activity of the heart antioxidant defense system. The overall effect of SR at 125 mg/kg is similar to the effect of resveratrol at 10 mg/kg. However, more detailed mechanistic studies should be performed by screening of the biologically active compounds in SR.