Effect of Buyang-Huanwu decoction on cardiac diastolic function in rats with diastolic heart failure

Objective To investigate the effect of Buyang-Huanwu decoction on left ventricular diastolic function in DHF rats. Methods Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the normal group (n=10), the Chinese medicine group (n=6), the western medicine group (n=6) and the model group (n=6). Except for the normal group, the other groups got abdominal aorta stenosis. After 12 weeks, The Chinese medicine group was given Buyang-Huanwu decoction 12.72 g/(kg•d), and the western medicine group was given metoprolo l 0.004 5 g/(kg•d), and the normal group and the model control group were given water. After once daily for 8 weeks, echocardiography was used to measure EF, E/A ratio and e/a ratio. The heart rate, left ventricular diastolic pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, tension and maximal change in pressure of left ventricular were measured by Langendorff. Results Compared with the model group, the e/a value (1.11 ± 0.28 vs. 0.67 ± 0.20) of the Chinese medicine group significantly increased (P<0.05), and the ventricular muscle tension (0.86 ± 0.64 g vs. 1.01 ± 0.33 g) significantly decreased (P<0.05). Conclusions Buyang-Huanwu decoction could improve cardiac relaxation by reducing ventricular muscle tension, thus improving diastolic function of diastolic heart failure rats. Key words: Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang; Heart failure; Isolated heart preparation; Tension; Rats