Liqi Huatan Huoxue formula alleviates coronary microvascular dysfunction via NRG-1/PI3K/AKT pathway

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a common cardiac disease that impairs patients' life quality substantially. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) demonstrates distinctive therapeutic potential in the management of CMD.

This study aimed to analyze the chemical profile and blood-absorved constituents of Liqi Huatan Huoxue (LQHTHX) formula, and to evaluate its therapeutic effects on CMD through both in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was employed to characterize the chemical composition of LQHTHX. The therapeutic efficacy of LQHTHX was assessed in a sodium laurate-induced CMD rat model and a hypoxia-induced primary cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) model.

The chemical composition and the blood-absorved components of LQHTHX were identified by LC-MS. and,the effect of LQHTHX treatment was assessed in CMD rat model cardiac tissues, including collagen deposition, inflammation, and apoptosis. A hypoxia-induced CMEC injury model was established to investigate the effects of LQHTHX on cell viability, proliferation, mitochondrial function, migration, and apoptosis.

The results suggested that nobiletin, corydaline, and isosinensetin in LQHTHX could enter the bloodstream. LQHTHX reduced collagen deposition, alleviated inflammation, and inhibited apoptosis in the cardiac tissues of CMD rats. Moreover, LQHTHX enhanced cell viability and proliferation, mitigated mitochondrial dysfunction, promoted cell migration, and suppressed apoptosis in hypoxia-induced CMECs. These protective effects were potentially mediated by up-regulation of NRG-1 and activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway.

This study offers new insights into complementary therapeutic strategies for CMD and provides a reference for development of natural product-based interventions.