Polymerized human placenta hemoglobin (PolyPHb) attenuates myocardial infarction injury in rats

To investigate the cardioprotective effect of polymerized human placenta hemoglobin (PolyPHb) for acute myocardial ischemia rat heart.

Myocardial infarcts (MI) model was set up in SD rats by permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LDA). The rats were divided randomly into 3 groups with each group of 20 rats: (A) the control group with the administration of Ringer's lactated solution at a dose of 2.5ml/kg); (B) PolyPHb group, PolyPHb solution at a dose of 0.16g Hb/kg and (C), PolyPHb+CAT+SOD group, PolyPHb solution at a dose of 0.16g Hb/kg and catalase (CAT) solution and superoxide dismutase (SOD) solution at a dose of 1681 U/kg and 528000 U/kg, respectively. Each rat received treatments via caudal vein, once a day for 7 days. Qualitative evaluations were made based on the reading of cardiac troponin T (cTnT), the myocardial infarction size (MIS) derived from the staining of myocardium tissue, and the pathological changes in infarct area. The ischemia changes of cardiomyocytes were determined by haematoxylin - basic fuchsin - picric acid (HBFP) staining and the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes were evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay (TUNEL).

Compared to the control group, PolyPHb greatly decreased the cTnT (p < 0.05), MIS (p < 0.05), and the size of myocardial ischemia (p < 0.05). PolyPHb + CAT + SOD decreased the △ST change (P < 0.05), cTnT (P < 0.01), MIS (p < 0.05), the pathological scores (p < 0.01), the size of myocardial ischemia (p < 0.01), and the apoptosis level (p < 0.01).

Our study demonstrated that adding PolyPHb improves cardiac functional recovery and reduces myocardial infarction of rat heart.