Sheng-Mai-San Reduces Adriamycin-Induced Cardiomayopathy in Rats
Sheng-Mai-San Reduces Adriamycin-Induced Cardiomayopathy in Rats
Authors: Jyh-Sheng You1,3, M.D., PhD., Hui-Feng Huang4, M.D., Ph.D.,
Ying-Ling Chang1, Ph.D., Ying-Shiung Lee2,3
* Address of the authors: 1 Chang Gung University School of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Center For Traditional Chinese Medicine,2 Section of Cardiology, 3 Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 259, Wen- Hwa 1st Road, Kweishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan. 4 Chinese Medical Department, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Abstract
The traditional Chinese medicine prescription “Sheng-Mai-San (SMS)” has been used for treating patients with coronary heart disease for a long time and was found to have antioxidative effect. Here, we applied adriamycin (doxorubicin, ADR), a highly effective anticancer agent, as an inducer to establish the animal model of dose-related cardiomyopathy due to inhibition of nucleic acid as well as protein synthesis, formation of free radicals and lipid peroxidation. The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects of SMS on adriamycin-induced cardiomyopathy. Wistar rats were divided into four groups: CONT (control), ADR, SMS and ADR+SMS. ADR (cumulative dose, 15 mg/kg) was administered to rats in six equal intraperitoneal injections over a period of 2 weeks and SMS was administered via a feeding tube throughout the mouth once a day for 30 days (cumulative dose, 150g/kg). At the end of the 5-week posttreatment period, hearts of the rats were surgically removed for the study of synthesis rates of DNA, RNA and protein. Besides, myocardial antioxidants, lipid peroxidation and morphological ultrastructure were also evaluated. Three weeks of the end of treatment, cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure were characterized according to assessment in ascites, congested liver, depressed cardiac function and myocardial cell damage. The results demonstrated that nucleic acid as well as protein synthesis was inhibited, while lipid peroxidation was increased. Myocardial glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity was decreased and electron microscopic examination revealed myocardial lesion indicative of ADR-induced cardiomyopathy. In contrast, administration of SMS before and concurrent with ADR significantly attenuated the myocardial effects. It also lowered mortality as well as the amount of ascites. In addition, indexes in myocardial GSHPx, macromolecular biosynthesis and superoxide dismutase activities were increasing, with a concomitant decrease in lipid peroxidation and preserved myocardial ultrastructure. These results indicated that SMS may be partially protective against ADR-induced cardiomyopathy.
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* Articles Originally Published in SUN TEN Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2006