Cardiovascular protective effect of polysaccharide from Ophiopogon japonicus in diabetic rats

Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker-Gawl is a well known traditional Chinese medicine used to treat cardiovascular and chronic inflammatory diseases for thousands of years. The present study was set up to investigate the protective effects of O. japonicus polysaccharide (OJP1) on cardiovascular injuries in diabetic rats. Results showed that OJP1 significantly reduced the MDA concentration and increased the activities of GPx, CAT and SOD in heart of diabetic rats. The levels of AGE, hs-CRP, sICAM-1, NO and ET-1 in diabetic rats were significantly reversed by OJP1 treatment. In addition, the level of ET-1 mRNA was decreased significantly, whereas eNOS mRNA level was increased after administration of OJP1. Meanwhile, the histopathological analysis showed that OJP1 alleviates the heart injury in diabetic rats. Together, these results suggest that OJP1 maintains the antioxidant enzyme levels and improves cardiovascular performance in diabetic rats.