Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Lingguizhugan decoction (LGZGD) on changes of cardiac structure and function, and its putative mechanism of action, by investigating mRNA and protein expression of myocardial nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB), and the plasma content of NF-κB in rats with chronic heart failure.METHODS: The chronic heart failure (CHF) model in rats was induced by coronary artery ligation.Sham operation was performed in control rats. Six weeks after the procedure, rats were randomly classified into the various treatment groups: model CHF, Captopril (4.4 mg/kg), low LGZGD dose (2.1 g/kg), medium LGZGD dose (4.2 g/kg), and high LG-ZGD dose (8.4 g/kg). Treatments continued for 4 consecutive weeks. Changes of hemodynamic indices were observed by the PowerLab data acquisition and analysis system. Morphological changes of myocardium were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and Masson staining. The mRNA and protein expression of myocardial NF-κB were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. The plasma content of NF-κB was detected by enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay.RESULTS: CHF rats showed significant dysfunction in hemodynamic indices and in cardiac structure.Compared with the sham operation group, mRNA expression of myocardial NF-κB and plasma content of NF-κB of the model group was significantly increased. All three doses of LGZGD, and Captopril,improved the hemodynamic dysfunction, and inhibited the change of cardiac structure while significantly improving the survival rate. Furthermore,compared with the model group, mRNA expression of myocardial NF-κB and plasma content of NF-κB were significantly reduced by all dosage groups of LGZGD as well as the\Captopril group.CONCLUSION: In CHF rats, LGZGD improves changes of cardiac structure and function via its inhibition of NF-κB.

Key words: Heart failure, Hemodynamics, Anatomy and histology, NF-kappa B, Lingguizhugan decoction