Comparative Efficacy of Sweated and Non-Sweated Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bge. Extracts on Acute Myocardial Ischemia Via Regulating the PPARα/RXRα/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. (S. miltiorrhiza) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine used to treat cardiovascular diseases. The processing of S. miltiorrhiza requires the raw herbs to sweat first and then dry.

Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to explore the anti-myocardial ischemic effect of S. miltiorrhiza extracts in rats, and to further investigate whether the 'sweating' primary processing affected the efficacy of S. miltiorrhiza.

Materials and Methods: The animal model of acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) model was established by subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline hydrochloride (ISO), and later treated by oral administration of S. miltiorrhiza extracts. After treatment, cardiac function was evaluated by electrocardiogram (ECG), biochemical, and histochemical analysis. Further, the regulation of S. miltiorrhiza extracts in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)/retinoid X receptor α (RXRα)/nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway of rats was assessed by the Western blotting.

Results: Both sweated and non-sweated S. miltiorrhiza extracts reduced ST-segment elevation in ECG and the myocardial infarction area in varying degrees. The results showed the activities of aspartate transaminase (AST), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) in the serum of rats were decreased, while the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was increased. The results of Western blotting revealed that S. miltiorrhiza extracts regulated the PPARα/RXRα/NF-κB signaling pathway to exert an anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, sweated S. miltiorrhiza tanshinones extracts are more effective than the non-sweated S. miltiorrhiza.

Conclusions: S. miltiorrhiza extracts promote anti-inflammatory against AMI via regulating the PPARα/RXRα/NF-κB signaling pathway. Further, the differences between sweated and non-sweated S. miltiorrhiza extracts indicate that sweated S. miltiorrhiza tanshinones extracts have better therapeutic effects on AMI.

Note:
Funding Information: The present study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81773988, 82073923), Anhui Province Key Research and Development Program Project (1704a0802145), the University Natural Science Research Project of Anhui Province (KJ2021A0586), and 2021 Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program (NO. 202110369021, S202110369040, 202110369019, S202110369017).

Conflict of Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this study.

Ethical Approval: All animal experimental procedures were strictly by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Anhui Medical University Experimental Animal Centre (The ethical number is AHUCM-rats-2021073).

Keywords: S. miltiorrhiza, sweating, acute myocardial ischemia, Anti-inflammatory