Objective: To investigate the actions of promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis by Guanxin Cataplasm and provide the experimental basis for clinical applications of the cataplasm. Method: The rat blood stasis syndrome model was induced by subcutaneous injection of adrenalin with ice-bath

the indexes of hemorheology including fibrinogen

whole blood viscosity

plasma viscosity

packed cell volume and platelet aggregation.The acute rat myocardial ischemia model was established by sublingual vein injection of 0.5 U·kg-1 posterior pituitary

and the electrocardiogram ECGs were recorded by polygraph to determine the incidence of ventricular tachycardia(VT) and ventricular fibrillation(VF)

the mean duration and onset time of VT plus VF. Result: Compared with model group

high dosage group of guanxin cataplasm decreased plasma viscosity from (1.101±0.064) mPa·s to (1.039±0.025) mPa·s

platelet aggregation from (54.92±6.53)% to (49.05±4.15)%

and whole blood viscosity under the shear rate of 200 s-1from (3.81±0.31) mPa·s to (3.53±0.27) mPa·s; meanwhile the delayed duration of VT plus VF from (1 133.75±298.71 )s to (881.20±115.48)s and onset time of VT plus VF from (20.90±7.74)s up to (36.08±16.91)s with reduced incidence of VT plus VF from 75% to 37.5% were observed. Small and middle dosage group led to a reduction in whole blood viscosity under 10 s-1 from (7.14±0.88) mPa·s to (6.38±0.69) mPa·s and that under 200 s-1 from (3.81±0.31) mPa·s to (3.48±0.15) mPa·s shear rate

and in the incidence decreased from 75% to 37.5% and duration decreased from(1 133.75±298.71) s to (816.43±243.46) s for VT plus VF respectively(P＜0.05

P＜0.01). Conclusion: Guanxin cataplasm can obviously improve indexes of hemorheology and afford a protection against occurring of VT plus VF

which may contribute to its function of promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis.