[Comparative study on effect of recipe for activating blood circulation and replenishing Qi on left ventricular remodeling in rats with left heart failure after myocardial infarction].

Objective: Comparative study to the effect of Chinese herbal medicine on left ventricular remodeling in rats with left heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: Rat's model of left heart failure after myocardial infarction was treated with injection for activating blood circulation (ABCI, consisted of R. Salviae miltiorrhizea; Rh. Ligusticum wallichii and F1. Carthamus tinctorius) and injection for replenishing Qi (RQI, consisted of R. Codonopsis Pilosulae and R. Astragalus membranaceus) respectively. The effect of treatment were evaluated by observing and comparing the changes of heart morphological structure, collagen element, heart weight/body weight ratio (HW/BW), left intraventricular area (LVA), ratio of ventricular wall thinning in MI area and myocardial nuclei number (MNN) per square area.

Results: In comparison with the model group, the reduction of collagen tissue around myocardial cells in living area of MI, HW/BW and LVA of ABCI and RQI group were lower, and MNN per square area was higher significantly (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Both ABCI and RQI, though without positive myodynamia, showed certain inhibitory effect of left ventricular remodeling in rats with left heart failure after MI.