OBJECTIVES: Myocardial remodeling is one of the main mechanism leads to chronic heart failure (CHF). Thus, the drugs which suppress the process of myocardial remodeling showed better clinical outcomes to deal with CHF. Total glucosides of paeony (TGP) used in much traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and showed many promising pharmacological effects such as immunosuppressant, anti-inflammatory, analgesia, anti-stress, liver disease, allergies, anticoagulant and cardiovascular activities. The object of this study was to investigate the effects of TGP on myocardial remodeling by regulation of nuclear factor kappa B cells (NF-B) pathway.

METHODS: SD rats were selected and divided into five groups (n = 8), control, sham-operated, captopril, low dose TGP and high dose TGP groups, respectively. We adopted the pressure-overload method by abdominal aorta ligation to induce CHF. Furthermore, collagen fibers detected by picrosirius red staining and expression of NF-kB, TGF-β1 by immunohistochemistry and observed under a polarized microscope and assessed by image pro plus 6.0. Matrix metalloproteinase’s (MMP)-2, -9 mRNA levels by real-time PCR (Rt-PCR), the concentration of angiotensin II was determined by radioimmunoassay and ELISA was employed to determine the cytokine IL-1β.

RESULTS: We observed that TGP could relieve myocardial remodeling in rats induced by abdominal aorta ligation and decrease the level of angiotensin II and I/III collagen ratio, pathogenic cytokines and inhibit the expression and activities of MMPs.

CONCLUSIONS: All these effects might be mediated by the NF-B pathway. Consequently, these finding revealed a new insight of understanding about the mechanism that was behind myocardial remodeling.