Abstract:Aim To investigate the protective effect of pretreatment with Gentiopicroside on transverse aortic constriction (TAC) -induced myocardial hypertrophy. Methods 40 male C57BL mice were randomly divided into two groups: sham group(n6) and myocardial hypertrophy model group(n32).Mice in myocardial hypertrophy group were operated transverse aortic constriction.24 h later,the mice in myocardial hypertrophy group were randomly divided into 4 groups: myocardial hypertrophy model group,Gentiopicroside high,middle and low dose group,which were given physiological saline and different doses of Gentiopicroside for 4 weeks.Echocardiogram was performed to assess the cardiac function changes.Heart weight to body weight ratio(HW/BW),heart weight/tibial length(HW/TL),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (FS) were measured.The expression levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP),brain natriuretic peptide (BNP),and β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) in heart tissues and the size of cardiomyocytes were also observed. Results Compared with myocardial hypertrophy model group,the LVEDD decreased 24.9% in Gentiopicroside group(especially dose up to 10.0 mg/(kg·d),the LVESD decreased 26.3%;while the LVEF increased 49.5%,the FS increased 62.6%,respectively(P<0.01).The HW/BW and the cardiac myocyte cross-sectional area showed a decrease in Gentiopicroside group compared with myocardial hypertrophy model group(P<0.01),while still increased significantly compared with the normal control group.The expression of ANP,BNP and β-MHC in Gentiopicroside group were lower than those in myocardial hypertrophy model group(P<0.05). Conclusion Gentiopicroside can intervene the progress of pressure overload-induced myocardial hypertrophy in C57BL mice.