Protective effect of berbamine on myocardial infarction in rabbits and rats

Berbamine (5 mg/kg iv) decreased the size of infarction induced by coronary artery ligation in both rabbits (infarct size ratio:8.9%+/-2.3% in berbamine group vs control 18.0%+/-1.8%, P<0.01) and rats (infarction size ratio: 8.3%+/-2.2% in berbamine group vs control 17.8%+/-1.6%, P<0.01). The contents of creatine kinase in rabbits with acute myocardial infarction treated by berbamine (8.6+/-1.2 mmol/L at 4 h; 18.2+/-5.4 mmol/L at 24 h) were apparently less than that in rabbits treated by saline (14.1+/-3.7 mmol/L at 4 h, P<0.01; 25.7+/-6.7 mmol/L at 24 h, P<0.05). Berbamine inhibited the increase of free fatty acids after 4 h, 377+/-164 micromol/L vs control 517+/-174 micromol/L, P<0.05). The number of Q wave was decreased in rabbits treated with berbamine after the coronary artery ligation (P<0.01). Berbamine effectively protected animals from experimental infarction.