Oxymatrine, the Main Alkaloid Component ofSophoraRoots, Protects Heart against Arrhythmias in Rats

Abstract

Oxymatrine is one of the main alkaloid components extracted from SOPHORA roots and has been shown to play various protective roles in the cardiovascular system. The present study was designed to study the protective effect of oxymatrine on arrhythmias and their ionic channel mechanism. Rat arrhythmic models were established by aconitine injection and coronary artery ligation. Rat cardiomyocytes were acutely isolated, and the whole-cell patch clamp technique was employed to investigate the effects of oxymatrine on sodium channels. Pretreatment with oxymatrine markedly increased the dose of aconitine required to induce arrhythmias in rats. Additionally, oxymatrine significantly delayed the initial time and shortened the duration time of rat arrhythmias induced by coronary artery ligation. Cardiac mortality rate in coronary artery ligation-induced arrhythmias was also effectively decreased by oxymatrine in rats. The electrophysiological study showed that oxymatrine could significantly inhibit sodium and calcium currents in isolated rat cardiomyocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. In summary, oxymatrine plays a remarkably preventive role in rat arrhythmias through the inhibition of sodium and calcium currents.

The Role of Biologically Active Ingredients from Natural Drug Treatments for Arrhythmias in Different Mechanisms

“…Electrophysiological studies indicated that oxymatrine could inhibit sodium and calcium currents in isolated rat cardiomyocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, oxymatrine significantly delayed the initial time and shortened the duration time of rat arrhythmias induced by coronary artery ligation [24]. …”

Oxymatrine suppresses MOVAS proliferation induced by platelet-derived growth factor via G0/G1 arrest

“…Compared with DMSO treated group, the expression levels of PCNA and Ki67 were significantly increased in PDGF-BB induced MOVAS cells, but this increment was dampened by OMT treatment ( Figure 2C). (0,5,10,20,40 …”

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that OMT shows a wide-range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiviral and immunomodulatory effects [14,[16][17][18][19]. In recent years, the cardio-protective effects of OMT are becoming more and more arresting, and it has been used to treat cardiovascular diseases via anti-arrhythmic effect, vasodilative activity, hypolipidemic, positive inotropic effect and resistance of ventricular remodeling [20][21][22][23][24][25]. However, whether OMT exerts pharmacological effect on PDGF-BBinduced MOVAS (a mouse vascular aortic smooth muscle cell line) proliferation is not yet clear.…”

Oxymatrine and cancer therapy

“…It ameliorates the experimental ventricular remodeling by reducing serum content of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), increasing double methyl arginine hydrolase 2 antibodies (DDAH2) expression, 21 and inhibiting the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and TGF-β1 and activation of extracellular signalregulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2), Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. 22 Oxymatrine acts against excessive aldosterone-induced cardiotoxicity through inhibition of calpain/apoptosis-inducing factor signaling pathways, 23 improves heart failure by upregulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase and dihydropyridine receptor, 24 protects arrhythmias through inhibition of sodium and calcium currents, 25 and shortens the action potential duration through reduction of L-type calcium current, enhances transient outward potassium current, and inhibits inward rectifier potassium current. 26 …”