Abstract: ［Abstract］Objective  To study protective effects of dl-3-n-butyphthalide(NBP) on angiogenesis in rats with myocardial infarction and explore its related mechanism.
Methods  Myocardial infarction model in SD rats was used. The rats were divided into sham operation group, myocardial infarction(MI) group, the NBP low-dose group(20 mg/kg) and the NBP high-dose group(40 mg/kg). There were 6 rats in each group. The NBP was injected to rats once a day for 2 weeks. 2, 3, 5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining was used to detect myocardial infarction areas. The cardiac functions were evaluated using echocardiography. New blood capillaries density in myocardial infarction fringe area was measured by immunohistochemical analysis. The gene expressions of vascular growth factor(VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor(β-FGF), and Notch 1 were determined by RT-qPCR.
Results〖HTSS〗No myocardial infarction was found in the Sham group. The percentage of myocardial infarction area in MI group, NBP-L group and NBP-H group was higher than Sham group. However, it was lower in NBP-L group and NBP-H group than that in MI group, and it was lower in NBP-H group than that in NBP-L group(P＜0.05). LVESP, +dp/dt Max and -dp/dt Max of rats in the MI, NBP-L and NBP-H groups were lower than those in the Sham group, while LVED was higher than those in the Sham group. LVESP, +dp/dt Max and -dp/dt Max of rats in the NBP-L group and NBP-H group were higher than those in the MI group, while LVED was lower than those in the MI group. LVESP, +dp/dt Max and -dp/dt Max of rats in the NBP-H group were higher than those in the NBP-L group, and LVED in the NBP-H group was lower than those in the NBP-L group(P＜0.05). The capillary density in the edge of myocardial infarction in NBP-L group and NBP-H group was higher than that in MI group, and it was higher in NBP-H group than that in NBP-L group(P＜0.05).The mRNA level of VEGF and β-FGF in MI group was lower than that in Sham group, however, in NBP-L group and NBP-H group was higher than that in Sham group and MI group, and the mRNA level of VEGF and β-FGF in NBP-H group was higher than that in NBP-L group(P＜0.05). Notch 1 gene expression in the myocardial tissue of rats in the MI group was significantly lower than that in the Sham group. However, in the NBP-L group and the NBP-H group was significantly higher than that in the Sham group and the MI group. Notch 1 gene expression in the NBP-H group was significantly higher than that in the NBP-L group(P＜0.05).
Conclusion〖HTSS〗NBP obviously promotes angiogenesis in myocardial infarction rats, which may related to activation of Notch 1 pathway.

Key words: myocardial infarction, dl-3-n-butyphthalide, angiogenesis