Danlou Tablet Protects Against Myocardial Infarction Through Promoting eNOS-Dependent Endothelial Protection and Angiogenesis

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Danlou tablet (Dan) is an effective traditional Chinese medicine for cardiac protection, although the underlying mechanism was not fully understood. In this study, we used a murine MI model and demonstrated that Dan administration effectively attenuated myocardial apoptosis, cardiac remodeling, and heart failure post MI. Dan increased CD31-positive capillaries in MI hearts, and reduced the apoptosis and oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells after oxygen–glucose deprivation stress, simultaneously with the activated HIF-1α/VEGFA/eNOS signaling. Moreover, inhibition of eNOS by L-NAME attenuated Dan-induced protection against MI, and abolished its effect in promoting angiogenesis and reducing endothelial apoptosis and oxidative stress. Collectively, Dan is beneficial to promote eNOS-dependent endothelial protection and angiogenesis thus protecting against MI. A deep understanding of Dan-induced protection might help promote clinical usage of Dan in MI treatment. Graphical Abstract