Abstract: AIM: To study the protective effects of shenfu injection on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats and its potential mechanisms.METHODS: Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion was produced by tying and untying of left anterior descending coronary artery. Ischemia lasted for 30 min and reperfusion for 60 min. Twenty-four healthy male SD rats weighing 230-280 g were randomly divided into three groups (n=8 in each): sham-operation group, I/R group, and shenfu group which the shenfu injection (10 ml°kg^-1) were injected intraperitoneally 30 min before ischemia.The plasma concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin- 6 (IL-6) were measured by ELISA.The heart was harvested and levels of the nuclear factor kappaB (NF- κB) activity were determined by Ecl-western blot analysis and ultrastructures were observed by electron microscopy. RESULTS: NF-κB binding activity in myocardial nuclear and the plasma concentration of IL-6, TNF-αwere significantly increased in I/R group than that in the sham-operation group (P<0.01), and they were markedly reduced in shenfu group compared with I/R group (P<0.01).In addition, electron microscopic examination showed more serious injury of the myocardium ultrastructure in I/R group, while in shenfu group the myocardial ultrastructure could improve close to normal.CONCLUSION: Shenfu injection can inhibit NF-κB activity in postischemic myocardium and lead to down-regulation of proinflammtory cytokine expression, which may be one of molecular mechanisms of shenfu injection in cardioprotection.

Key words: shenfu injection, ischemia, reperfusion, nuclear factor-kappa B, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6