Protective effect of Danhong injection in patients with acute myocardial infarction at a high risk of no-reflow during primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Objective To observe the effect of Danhong injection (DI) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) at a high risk of no-reflow (NR) during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods Patients were placed in a DI group and control group. The DI group was given DI and the control group was given physiologic saline. The administration lasted 4 to 6 days in both groups after PCI. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was carried out during the perioperative period (7 ± 2 days). The primary endpoint of the study was myocardial infarct size (IS) imaged on delayed-enhancement CMR. The secondary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events observed 6 months after PCI. Results In total, 160 high-risk NR patients were enrolled, and 110 patients completed the CMR examination. According to postoperative CMR, the Myocardial Salvage Index and left ventricular ejection fraction were higher in the DI group (56.9 ± 13.2 vs. 47.7 ± 16.6, P = 0.00; 49.3% ± 6.9% vs. 46.2% ± 7.7%, P = 0.03, respectively), whereas the IS was lower (19.7% ± 5.6% vs. 22.2% ± 6.5%, P = 0.04), compared with that in the control group. These differences were observed to be significant. After 6 months, the prevalence of major adverse cardiac events in the DI group decreased compared with that in the control group, but the differences were not observed to be significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion The application of DI can reduce the myocardial IS in STEMI patients at a high risk of NR during primary PCI.