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

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].

CONCLUSIONS

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.