Cryptotanshinone ameliorates cardiac injury and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in rats with coronary microembolization

Coronary microembolization (CME) is a prevalent cardiovascular disease, especially nowadays when percutaneous coronary intervention is widely applied. However, neither cardio-protective agents nor devices for distal protection could effectively prevent the occurrence of CME. Therefore, we aimed to develop a new drug for CME. Rats were orally administrated with different doses of Cryptotanshinone (CTS, 5, 15, 45 mg/kg) daily for 2 weeks, respectively, following CME surgery. Then cardiac function and cardiac injury were evaluated in CME rats as well as measuring oxidative stress and apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. Compared to sham group, CME operation induced cardiac dysfunction, cardiac injury, the activation of platelet and endothelium, cardiomyocyte apoptosis and oxidative stress, all of which could be dose-dependently restored by CTS pretreatment. Moreover, NF-κB signaling pathway participated in the development of CME and also in the preventive process of CTS against CME. CTS might serve as a potential and promising candidate drug to prevent the occurrence of CME.