Objective: To investigate the effect of Jiangya Baolan tablets against left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Method: The 12-week-old male SHRs were randomly divided to the SHR group (0.5% CMC)

the enalapril group (0.6 g · kg-1) and the Jiangya Baolan tablets group (0.02 g · kg-1). In addition

10 12-week-old normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were included into the normal group (0.5% CMC). All of them were orally administered with drugs for 12 weeks. The rat tail sphygmomanometer was used to measure the systolic blood pressure (SBP)

diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) of rat caudal arteries. The echocardiography was used to measure the left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT)

interventricular septal thickness (IVST)

left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD)

left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD)

left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS)

left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV)

left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV)

ejection fraction (LVEF) and stroke volume (SV). The cardiac index (CI) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were calculated by weighting the whole heart and left ventricle. The pathological image analysis system was used to measure the cardiomyocytes transection diameter (CTD) and observe the myocardial histopathology by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Result: Compared with the normal group

the SHR control group showed significant increases in the systolic blood pressure (SBP)

diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (P <0.01)

obvious decreases in LVEDV

LVESV and SV (P <0.01)

remarkable rises in CI

LVMI and CTD (P <0.01) and slight growths in LVST

LVPWT

LVFS and LVEF

but with no statistical significance. Compared with the normal group

the Jiangya Baolan tablets group showed notable decreases in LVFS

LVEF

CI

LVMI and CTD (P <0.05) and significant amelioration in the pathological changes of left ventricular myocardium

but with a slight antihypertensive effect that was obviously lower than that of enalapril and no significant difference with the SHR group. Conclusion: Jiangya Baolan tablets has the effect in ameliorating LVH in SHR.