The effect of andrographis paniculata nees (APN) in alleviating the myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury.

In experimental dogs, the effect of APN in alleviating the ischemia-reperfusion injury was prominent. Compared with the sustained ischemia group, superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the ischemic region of myocardial tissue in the ischemia-reperfusion group was significantly decreased and malondialdehyde (MDA) markedly increased: Ca2+ in myocardial cells was increased; and ultrastructural changes of myocardial tissues were severe. In the APN-pretreated ischemia-reperfusion group, on the contrary, all the above parameters showed reversely, i.e., SOD increased, MDA and intracellular Ca2+ decreased, the ultrastructure changes were less distorted.