[Effects of Shen-song-yang-xin capsule on ventricular arrhythmias in ischemia/reperfusion: experiment with rats]

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effects of Shen-song-yang-xin capsule containing ginseng, ophiopogon root, red sage root, etc, on the ventricular arrhythmias caused by ischemic/reperfusion.

Methods: Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into 2 equal groups: Shen-song-yang-xin group undergoing gastric infusion of Shen-song-yang-xin 4 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) for 2 weeks and then subjected to left coronary artery occlusion for 30 minutes followed by reperfusion for 60 minutes, and control group undergoing ischemia/reperfusion only. Electrocardiography was conducted to record the ventricular arrhythmias, and after 60 minutes of reperfusion the rats were killed with their hearts removed to measure the infarction size.

Results: (1) During the 30 minutes' ischemia, the average number of episode of ischemia-induced premature ventricular contraction of the Shen-song-yang-xin group was (6.7 +/- 0.3) beats/30 min, significantly lower than that of the control group [(15.0 +/- 1.1) beats/30 min, P = 0.007]; the average number of episode of ischemia-induced ventricular tachycardia of the Shen-song-yang-xin group was (3.5 +/- 0.2) episodes/30 min, significantly lower than that of the control group [(14.7 +/- 0.6) episodes/30 min, P = 0.003]; the duration of ventricular tachycardia of the Shen-song-yang-xin group was (10.3 +/- 2.0) s, significantly shorter than that of the control group [(28.3 +/- 4.6) s, P = 0.018]; and the duration of ventricular fibrillation of the Shen-song-yang-xin group was (7.0 +/- 1.1) s, significantly shorter than that of the control group [(15.0 +/- 1.7) s, P = 0.031]. (2) 60 minutes after the reperfusion, the number of episode of premature ventricular contraction of the Shen-song-yang-xin group was (5.3 +/- 0.8) beats/60 min, significantly lower than that of the control group [(15.6 +/- 1.8) beats/60 min, P = 0.002], and the duration of reperfusion-induced ventricular tachycardia was (4.6 +/- 0.5) s, significantly shorter than that of the control group [(13.5 +/- 0.6) s, P = 0.001].

Conclusion: Shen-song-yang-xin capsule significantly reduces the ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmia, average episode number of reperfusion-induced premature ventricular contraction, and duration of reperfusion-induced ventricular tachycardia.