Effects of Tribuli saponins on ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction in hyperlipidemic rats.

This experiment was designed to determine whether Tribuli saponins (TS) relieve left ventricular remodeling (VR) after myocardial infarction (MI) in a murine hyperlipemia (HL) model. MI and HL models were induced and high and low doses of TS and simvastatin were administrated to the rats. Four weeks later, echocardiographic observation was performed and the left and right ventricular weight index (LVWI, RVWI) was calculated. Echocardiographic results showed that both high dose of TS and simvastatin had a beneficial effect on increasing fractional shortening (FS) and ejection fraction (EF), reducing left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular dimension end diastole (LVDd) and systole (LVDs), and decreasing LVWI, as compared to those in the HL-MI model group (p < 0.05, 0.01). Both medicines had little impact on thickness of the anterior and posterior wall. No significant difference was observed between each treatment group (p > 0.05). In conclusion, TS not only lowered serum lipidemia, but also relieved left ventricular remodeling, and improved cardiac function in the early stage after MI.