Protective effects of echinocystic acid isolated from Gleditsia sinensis Lam. against acute myocardial ischemia

Echinocystic acid (EA), a pentacyclic triterpene, was isolated and identified from the fruits of Gleditsia sinensis Lam. The protective effects of EA were evaluated in rat models with acute myocardial ischemia induced by isoproterenol and vasopressin. In the electrocardiogram of anesthetized rats, EA prevented the ST-segment depression induced by isoproterenol or vasopressin in a dose-dependently manner. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of Bcl-2 was analyzed by RT-PCR. EA shows an elevation of Bcl-2 mRNA level in infarcted tissue induced by isoproterenol in rats. These results demonstrated for the first time EA has a cardioprotective effect and may be a natural drug. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.