Protective Effect of Swertiamarin on Myocardial Injury Through Activation of Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway in Heart Failure Model of Rats

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of swertiamarin on heart failure. To this end, a rat model of heart failure was established via left coronary artery ligation. Infarct size of heart tissues was determined using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. Echocardiography was performed to evaluate cardiac function by the determination of ejection fraction, left ventricular internal dimension in diastole and left ventricular internal dimension in systole. The effect of swertiamarin on oxidative stress was evaluated via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mechanism was evaluated using western blot. Administration of swertiamarin reduced the infarct size of heart tissues in rat models with heart failure. Moreover, swertiamarin treatment ameliorated the cardiac function, increased ejection fraction and fractional shortening, decreased left ventricular internal dimension in diastole and left ventricular internal dimension in systole. Swertiamarin improved oxidative stress with reduced malondialdehyde, while increased superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and GSH peroxidase. Furthermore, nuclear-factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, heme oxygenase and NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1) were elevated by swertiamarin treatment in heart tissues of rat model with heart failure. Swertiamarin alleviated heart failure through suppression of oxidative stress response via nuclear-factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 pathway providing a novel therapeutic strategy for heart failure.