Effect of Auricularia auricular polysaccharide on ischemia myocardial injury

AIM: To investigate the protective effect of auricularia auricular polysaccharide (AAP) on the myocardial injury induced by ischemia and its underlying mechanism. METHODS: AAP was orally administrated to rats at the does of 50, 100 or 200 mg·kg-1·d-1 for 20 d. Myocardial injury was induced in anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. Myocardial infarct size, the level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the production of lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein level of myocardial collagen of the heart were measured. RESULTS: The average myocardial infarct size in AAP groups was significantly smaller than that in ischemia group. The level of serum LDH induced by regional myocardial ischemia was significantly decreased in AAP group compared to ischemia group (P<0.01). AAP inhibited the production of MDA and increased the activity of SOD. Furthermore, AAP reduced the protein level of myocardial collagen after ischemia (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: AAP prevents myocardium from ischemia injury as an antioxidant.