INTERVENTION MECHANISM OF ZHENJU ANTIHYPERTENSIVE COMPOUND ON MYOCARDIAL FIBROSIS OF SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS

Objective: Zhenju antihypertensive compound (ZJAHC) is used for treating hypertension in traditional Chinese-Western medicine. The goal of our study is to determine if ZJAHC treatment ameliorated myocardial fibrosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Methods: Twenty-four 3-4 months male spontaneously hypertensive rats and eight age-matched male Wlstar-Kyoto control rats were studied for 11 weeks. Each day was orally administered with ZJAHC (150 mg/kg) or benazepril (10 mg/kg) for 10 weeks and the systolic blood pressure of all rats was measured using the tail-cuff method. The left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, peak systolic pressure, and maximal/minimal first derivative of change in pressure over time were measured with Biological Signal Collection System. Myocardial fibrosis were determined by hematoxylin-eosin staning and collagen protein levels. Results: Both ZJAHC and benazepril could decrease systolic blood pressure, and ameliorate rat cardiac diastolic and systolic function. The cardiac hypertrophy was not affected by ZJAHC. Myocardial necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, type I and 111 collagen protein levels were reduced by ZJAHC treatment. Conclusions: ZJAHC treatment demonstrated ability to reverse myocardial fibrosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats by decreasing myocardial necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, type 1 and III collagen protein levels.