Kudzu Celery Decoction Exerts Protection against Sepsis-Induced Myocardial Injury

Myocardial dysfunction is well-recognized manifestations of organ dysfunction in sepsis, which is the leading cause of death in critically ill patients. The underlying mechanisms associated with sepsis-induced myocardial injury (SIMI) include cardiac contractility, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Kudzu celery decoction (KCD) is composed of a variety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) such as kudzu and celery. The previous study found that the main ingredients in kudzu and celery have also been proved to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and other biological activities. In this study, the therapeutic effects of KCD were evaluated in the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model of BALB/c mice. The effects of KCD on cardiac function, myocardium damage, inflammation, and fibrosis in CLP-injured mice were analyzed with echocardiography, histological staining, and quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that KCD treatment improved the anal temperature, sepsis score, blood routine parameters, and blood biochemical parameters in CLP-injured mice. Then, we observed that KCD could remarkably alleviate cardiac dysfunction, myocardial fibrosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation in CLP-injured mice. In this study, we confirmed that KCD has a significant protective effect on SIMI, which may favor KCD a potential cardioprotective drug candidate to alleviate SIMI and further amplify the application of TCM prescription in clinic.