OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Astragalus injection (AI) on left ventricular remodeling and left ventricular function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODSAMI patients were randomly divided into the AI group (54 cases) treated with AI and the control group (54 cases) treated with conventional treatment. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI), anterior endocardial segmental length (ASL), posterior endocardial segmental length (PSL) were assessed by echocardiogram at the 1st and the 4th week of treatment; and the cardiac systolic and diastolic functions were detected by nuclide gating cardiac blood pool imaging on the 4th week. Besides, the plasmic levels of lipid peroxide (MDA), count of endothelial cell (CEC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined before and after treatment.

RESULTSAt the 4th week, changes of LVEDVI, LVESVI and ASL in the AI group were not obvious, but increased significantly in the control group, the significant difference in comparison between the two groups was shown (P < 0.05). As compared with the control group, in the AI group, the left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular peak ejecting rate and left ventricular peak filling rate were higher, and the left ventricular time for peak filling rate was shorter, moreover, MDA and CEC were lower and SOD was higher. The difference between groups and between before and after treatment were significant (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAI is one of the effective drugs in reversal of left ventricular remodeling and improving left ventricular function in patients with AMI.