Effects of xuezhikang therapy on blood pressure and left ventricular function in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Objective To observe the effects of xuezhikang therapy on systolic blood pressure(SBP),left ventricular function and the change of left ventricular hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR).To investigate the mechanism of this functional changes.Methods The male SHRs and WKYs which were 10-week old were divided into 3 groups by feeding with different medicines:the normal control group(WKY group,n=9),experimental control group(SHR group,n=10) and SHR-X group(SHR treated with xuezhikang 2400mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1),n=11).The rats were studied the tail-cuff systolic blood pressure(SBP),invasive left ventricular function,left ventricle mass index(LVMI),serum level of endothelin-1(ET-1)and the activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca~(2+)-ATPase(SERCA)in left ventricle after therapy for 16 weeks.Results Compared with SHR group :SBP showed 17.02mmHg lower in SHR-X.Time constant was significant lower in SHR-X[(1.01±0.09)ms vs(2.38±0.59)ms,P0.05],left ventricle mass index(LVMI) was lower in SHR-X[(3.07±0.25)mg/g vs(3.31±0.23)mg/g,P0.05].Serum level of ET-1 was significant lower in(SHR-X) [(138±26)pg/ml vs(197±39)pg/ml,P0.01].The activity of SERCA in left ventricle was a little higher in SHR-X.Conclusion The therapy of xuezhikang might have some effects to delay blood pressure increasing in SHR.Xuezhikang could improve left ventricular diastolic function.Xuezhikang could effectively inhibit left ventrical hypertrophy.The mechanisms of these effects might involve the amelioration of blood vessel endothelium function,reduction of the serum level of ET-1 and increase the activity of SERCA to inhibit cardiac myocyte [Ca~(2+)]i overload.