Protective effect of oxymatrine on chronic heart failure and ADMA metabolism pathway in isoproterenol-induced chronic heart failure in rats

Abstract

To investigate the protective effects of oxymatrine on chronic heart failure induced by isoproterenol (ISO) and to observe its effects on ADMA metabolism pathway in ISO-induced chronic heart failure in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given oxymatrine (100,50 mg kg-1) orally for 14 days. Heart failure was induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (5 mg kg-1 d-1 ) at the 8th day for 1 week. Serum parameters, haemodynamic parameters, Heart weight, and histopathological variables were analysed. Expression of protein levels were measured by Western blot. Oxymatrine (100,50 mg kg-1) significantly attenuated serum content of cTn I, improved left ventricle systolic and diastolic function and left ventricular remodeling, reduced the ISO-induced myocardial pathological changes compared with ISO group. In addition, oxymatrine (100,50 mg kg-1) significantly reduced serum level of ADMA (P <0. 01), normalize the reduced dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 (DDAH2) expression (P <0. 01) , but had no effect on the isoproterenol-induced upregulated protein arginine methyltransferases 1 expression. Oxymatrine could ameliorate the experimental ventricular remodeling in ISO-induced chronic heart failure in rats and the mechanism involved in reducing serum content of ADMA and increased DDAH2 expression.