Effects of berberine on the prevention of left ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction

Objective To explore the effects of berberine(BBR)on the prevention of left ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction(AMI)in New Zealand rabbits.Methods AMI were conducted by ligating left coronary artery in female New Zealand rabbits.Five days after the procedure,the 28 survival rabbits were randomized into the controls(n=14)or BBR treatment group [n=14,BBR 8 mg/(kg·d)iv.].Hemodynamic studies were performed 4 weeks after the completion of treatment.Pathology study of the rabbits hearts was carried ont and matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs)2 and 9 were detected by immunohistochemical analysis in the non-infarct myocardium.Results Compared with the control group,left ventricular relative weight(LVRW)and LV end diastolic pressure(LVEDP)were decreased in the treatment group 4 weeks after BBR intervention(1.55±0.12 vs 1.69±0.13,P0.05;4.76±3.56 vs 8.21±5.88,P0.05),with ±dp/dt increased markedly(1.54±0.26 vs 1.10±0.27,P0.05;1.67±0.38 vs 1.21±0.33,P0.05)whereas MMP-2 and-9 reduced significantly(MMP-2:53.9%±3.1% vs 88.8%±4.5%,P0.05;MMP-9:49.1%±3.9% vs 94.2%±6.2%,P0.01).Conclusion BBR may improve left ventricular remodeling after AMI by reducing both MMP-9 and MMP-2 expressions.