Effect of optimized new Shengmai powder on exercise tolerance in rats with heart failure by regulating the ubiquitin-proteasome signaling pathway

Figures

• 

  Figure 1. Study designs. Left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery was ligated to induce the heart failure model. Ten rats in the sham groups underwent identical procedures except that their LAD arteries were not ligated. The rats that were alive after surgery were randomly divided into four groups, with 10 rats in each group.

• 

  Figure 2. Changes in cardiac function and exercise tolerance of rats in each group before intragastric administration (i.e., baseline) and after intragastric administration (i.e., 4 week post). (A) Echocardiogram of rats in each group before and after intragastric administration. (B) Changes in the LVEF of rats in each group before and after intragastric administration. (C) Changes in the FS of rats in each group before and after intragastric administration. (D) Hemodynamic changes in rats in each group after intragastric administration. (E) Changes in the swimming time of exhaustion of rats in each group after intragastric administration. At baseline, the sham-operated group compared with the rest of the rats, △△P < 0.01. 4 week post, compared with the sham-operated group, ##P < 0.01, compared with the model group, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.

• 

  Figure 3. HE and SR staining of the myocardium and skeletal muscle of the rats. (A) HE staining of the rats’ myocardium and skeletal muscle. (B) SR staining of the rats’ myocardium and skeletal muscle. (C) Changes in the collagen area of the myocardial tissue of rats in each group. (D) Changes in the collagen area of the skeletal muscle of rats in each group. Compared with the sham-operated group, ##P < 0.01. Compared with the model group, **P < 0.01.

• 

  Figure 4. Comparison of TUNEL staining and the apoptosis rate between the cardiac and the skeletal muscle cells of rats. (A) TUNEL staining of the cardiac muscle cells of rats. (B) TUNEL staining of the skeletal muscle cells of rats. (C) Comparison of apoptosis in the cardiac muscle cells of rats. (D) Comparison of apoptosis in the skeletal muscle cells of rats. Compared with the sham-operated group, ##P < 0.01. Compared with the model group, **P < 0.01.

• 

  Figure 5. Immunohistochemical results of the expression of MAFbx and murf-1 proteins in the myocardium and skeletal muscle of rats. (A) Staining of MAFbx and Murf-1 in the myocardium and skeletal muscle. (B) Changes in MAFbx protein expression in the myocardium. (C) Changes in Murf-1 protein expression in the myocardium. (D) Changes in MAFbx protein expression in the skeletal muscle. (E) Changes in Murf-1 protein expression in the skeletal muscle. Compared with the sham-operated group, ##P < 0.01. Compared with model group, **P < 0.01.

• 

  Figure 6. Results of immunofluorescence analysis of caspase-3. (A) Fluorescent staining of caspase-3 in cardiac muscle cells. (B) Fluorescent staining of caspase-3 in skeletal muscle cells. (C) Comparison of Caspase-3 activity in cardiac muscle cells. (D) Comparison of Caspase-3 activity in skeletal muscle cells. Compared with the sham-operated group, ##P < 0.01. Compared with the model group, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.

• 

  Figure 7. Expression of cardiac muscle–related proteins. (A) The results of Western blot analysis. (B–F) Expression levels of MAFbx, Murf-1, JNK, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2/Bax in each group. Compared with the sham-operated group, ##P < 0.01. Compared with the model group, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.

• 

  Figure 8. Expression of skeletal muscle–related proteins. (A) The results of Western blot analysis. (B–F) Expression levels of MAFbx, Murf-1, JNK, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2/Bax in each group. Compared with the sham-operated group, ##P < 0.01. Compared with the model group, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.

• 

  Figure 9. Expression of myocardial-related mRNA. (A–F) Expression levels of MAFbx, Murf-1, JNK, Caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bax in each group. Compared with the sham-operated group, #P < 0.05, ##P < 0.01. Compared with the model group, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.

• 

  Figure 10. Expression of skeletal muscle–related mRNA. (A–F) Expression levels of MAFbx, Murf-1, JNK, Caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bax in each group. Compared with the sham-operated group, #P < 0.05, ##P < 0.01. Compared with the model group, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.

• 

  Figure 11. Ubiquitin-proteasome signaling pathway.