Buyanghuanwu Decoction alleviated pressure overload induced cardiac remodeling by suppressing Tgf-β/Smads and MAPKs signaling activated fibrosis

Buyanghuanwu Decoction (BHD), a traditional Chinese medicine recipe, is a representative prescription for the treatment of qi-deficiency and blood-stasis syndrome. In this study, the effect of BHD on pressure overload induced cardiac remodeling was investigated and possible mechanism underlying was explored. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham, transverse aorta constriction (TAC) with saline, TAC with telmisartan (TAC + Tel), and TAC with BHD (TAC + BHD) for 16 weeks (n = 6 ∼ 8 in each group). Cardiac morphological and functional changes were evaluated by echocardiography and histological methods, the molecular alterations were detected by western blotting. Our results revealed that pressure overload prominently induced cardiac dysfunction, dilated and atrophied left ventricle, decreased cardiomyocyte cross sectional area, and fibrosis. However, BHD, similar to Tel, greatly reversed cardiac dysfunction, left ventricular dilation, and fibrosis, together with increased left ventricular wall thickness and size of cardiomyocyte. Furthermore, activated classical pro-fibrotic signaling of Tgf-β/Smads and MAPKs after TAC was dramatically suppressed by BHD or Tel treatment. Taken together, it was demonstrated in this study that BHD exerted a cardioprotective effect against pressure overload induced cardiac remodeling via inactivation of Tgf-β/Smads and MAPKs signaling triggered fibrosis.