Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To study the protective mechanism of Chinese medicine Suxiao Jiuxin Pills (, SXJ) on myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury. METHODS: Mouse myocardial I/R injury model was created by 30-min coronary artery occlusion followed by 24-h reperfusion, the mice were then divided into the sham group (n=7), the I/R group (n=13), the tirofiban group (TIR, positive drug treatment, n=9), and the SXJ group (n=11). Infarct size (IS), risk region (RR), and left ventricle (LV) were analyzed with double staining methods. In addition, H9C2 rat cardiomyocytes were cultured with Na(2)S(2)O(4) to simulate I/R in vitro. The phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinases1/2 (ERK1/2), protein kinase B (AKT), glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), and protein expression of GATA4 in nucleus were detected with Western blot assay. RESULTS: The ratio of IS/RR in SXJ and TIR groups were lower than that in I/R group (SXJ, 22.4% ±6.6%; TIR, 20.8%±3.3%; vs. I/R, 35.4%±3.7%, P<0.05, respectively). In vitro experiments showed that SXJ increased the Na(2)S(2)O(4)-enhanced phosphorylation of AKT/GSK3β and nuclear expression of GATA4. CONCLUSION: SXJ prevents myocardial I/R injury in mice by activating AKT/GSK3β and GATA4 signaling pathways.