Anshen-Buxin-Liuwei pill, a Mongolian medicinal formula could alleviate cardiomyocyte hypoxia/reoxygenation injury via mitochondrion pathway.

Background: Anshen Buxin Liuwei pill (ABLP) is a Mongolian medicinal formula that is composed of six medicinal materials: the Mongolian medicine Bos taurus domesticus Gmelin, Choerospondias axillaris (Roxb.) Burtt et Hill, Myristica fragrans Houtt., Eugenia caryophμllata Thunb., Aucklandia lappa Decne., and Liqui dambar formosana Hance. ABLP is considered to have a therapeutic effect on symptoms such as coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, arrhythmia, depression and irritability, palpitation, and shortness of breath.

Methods: H9c2 cardiomyocytes were used to construct a hypoxia/reoxygenation (HR) injury model. CCK-8 assay and Annexin V-FITC cell apoptosis assays were used for cell viability and cell apoptosis determination. The LDH, SOD, MDA, CAT, CK, GSH-Px, Na-K-ATPase, and Ca-ATPase activities in cells were determined to assess the protective effects of ABLP. The mRNA levels of Sirtuin3 (Sirt3) and Cytochrome C (Cytc) in H9c2 cells were determined by quantitative real-time PCR.

Results: The results indicate that HR-treated cells began to shrink from the spindle in an irregular shape with some floated in the medium. By increasing the therapeutic dose of ABLP (5, 25, and 50 μg/mL), the cells gradually reconverted in a concentration-dependent manner. The release of CK in HR-treated cells was significantly increased, indicating that ABLP exerts a protective effect in H9c2 cells against HR injury and can improve mitochondrial energy metabolism and mitochondrial function integrity. The present study scrutinized the cardioprotective effects of ABLP against HR-induced H9c2 cell injury through antioxidant and mitochondrial pathways.

Conclusions: ABLP could be a promising therapeutic drug for the treatment of myocardial ischemic cardiovascular disease. The results will provide reasonable information for the clinical use of ABLP.