Intervention Mechanisms of Xinmailong Injection, a Periplaneta Americana Extract, on Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review of Basic Researches

BACKGROUND: At present, the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease in the world are facing severe challenges. Xinmailong injection, which is derived from the animal medicine Periplaneta Americana, has certain advantages in the clinical treatment of cardiovascular disease. This study systematically evaluated the basic research reports of Xinmailong Injection on cardiovascular disease and made its pharmacological mechanisms more clear. METHODS: Basic research reports on the intervention mechanisms of Xinmailong Injection on cardiovascular disease in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library (No. 2, 2019), CNKI, Wan Fang, and VIP databases were searched. The search time limit was from the establishment of the database to February 2019. The literature was screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then the data were extracted and a descriptive analysis of the pharmacological mechanisms of Xinmailong Injection on cardiovascular disease was performed. RESULTS: Finally, twenty-two basic research reports were included. The intervention mechanisms of Xinmailong Injection on cardiovascular disease mainly includes the following: inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction; regulating autophagy; promoting Ca(2+) influx by activating excitability of excitation-contraction coupling (ECC); inhibiting overexpressions of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) to regulate the dynamic balance of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs); inhibiting the phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), protein kinase B (AKT), and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) proteins and overexpression of the downstream transcription factor GATA4 in the nucleus; regulating vascular endothelial factors and so on. CONCLUSIONS: Xinmailong Injection can protect cardiomyocytes and maintain the normal function of the heart in various ways, thus effectively preventing the development of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, Xinmailong Injection has great potential for clinical application, and more basic researches need to be carried out to explore the medicinal value of Xinmailong Injection.