Protective effect of Salvia Miltiorrhizae Composita on myocardium in patients undergoing open heart surgery

Abstract

To observe the protective effect of Salvia Miltiorrhizae Composita (SMC) on myocardium injuries induced by oxygen free radicals from ischemic reperfusion in patients undergoing open heart surgery. Eighteen patients with either congenital ventricular septal defect (VSD) or atrial septal defect (ASD) were divided randomly into control group and treated group, 9 in each. Patients in the treated group were administered intravenously SMC 200 mg/kg before operation and in rewarming period, while patients of the control group received the same volume of balanced salt solution. Serum malonyldialdehyde (MDA), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured before operation, 30 min after myocardium ischemia, 30 min after reperfusion, 30 min after cardiopulmonary bypass and 24 hours after operation. Serum MDA, CPK and LDH levels in the treated group at both myocardium ischemic period and ischemic reperfusion period were significantly higher than those at before operation (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In the treated group, levels of the 3 indexes at myocardium ischemic period increased slightly in comparison with those before operation (P > 0.05), and the levels of them at ischemic reperfusion period were significantly higher than those before operation (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the levels at ischemic reperfusion period and those at 30 min after myocardium ischemia. Comparison between the two groups showed that the serum MDA, CPK and LDH levels were all significantly higher in the control group than those in the control group respectively in all periods (P < 0.01). SMC could effectively protect myocardium from ischemia and ischemic reperfusion by attenuating the free radical damage and inhibiting lipid peroxidation.