Pretreatment with Shenmai Injection Protects against Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) treatment has limited efficacy due to single mechanisms.
• Shenmai injection (SMI), a multi-component traditional Chinese medicine, has not been studied for CMD.
• This research investigates SMI's therapeutic potential and mechanism in CMD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the protective effects of Shenmai injection (SMI) on coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD).
• To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of SMI in treating CMD.
• To assess SMI's impact on oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial function.

Main Methods:

• CMD models were established in Sprague-Dawley rats and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).
• In vivo studies involved serum analysis of myocardial enzymes, oxidative stress markers, and inflammatory factors, alongside myocardial histopathology and Western blot.
• In vitro studies assessed cell viability, oxidative stress, vasodilation, and apoptosis in HUVECs after SMI treatment.

Main Results:

• SMI significantly reduced serum levels of LDH, CK-MB, cTnI, ET-1, TNF-α, IL-6, and MDA in rats.
• SMI treatment increased levels of NO, SOD, and Bcl-2 while decreasing Bax and caspase-3 expression in rat myocardium.
• In vitro, SMI improved endothelial cell activity, increased NO and SOD, and reduced apoptosis and ET-1, MDA, Bax, and caspase-3 levels.

Conclusions:

• Shenmai injection (SMI) demonstrates significant therapeutic potential for coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD).
• SMI alleviates CMD by mitigating oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and apoptosis.
• The findings suggest SMI improves vascular endothelial function and cardiac microvascular structure.