OBJECTIVETo explore effect of Qindan Fuzheng Capsule (QFC) on ultrastructure of cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes injured by high microwave radiation in rats.

METHODSEighteen adult Wistar rats were equally divided into 3 groups in random: rats in Group A were untreated as the normal control, rats in Group B received 6 min microwave radiation (100 mW/cm2 high power) to cause injury of cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes, and Group C received the same radiation but treated with QFC perfusion, 2 mL (equivalent to 4.75 g crude drug) once a day, for 7 successive days, starting from 6 h after radiation. All rats were sacrificed 7 days later, their fresh tissue of heart apex and right lobe of liver were taken and prepared to routine transmission electron microscopy specimen for ultrastructural observation.

RESULTSCompared with Group A, different degrees of ultrastructural changes on nuclei and organelle were observed in Group B and C, but the injury in Group C was significantly milder than that in Group B, showing normal sized cells with good structure approximate to the morphology in Group A.

CONCLUSIONSQFC showed protective effect on microwave radiation injured ultrastructural changes in rats' cardiomyocytes and hepatocyte. Its mechanism was possibly correlated with the suppression of lipid peroxidation and the improvement of metabolism in myocardial and hepatic cells.