Advances in pharmacological effects of higenamine on cardiovascular system

Higenamine (HG) is an active cardiotonic component isolated from Aconite. Chinese and foreign scholars have done a lot of research on the metabolism and pharmacological effects of HG, which confirmed that it has cardiovascular pharmacological effects of cardiactonic action and vasodilation for the treatment of heart failure and bradycardia, anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic effects which can be used to protect the heart and reduce heart ischemia and reperfusion injury. In addition, HG inhibits the expression of iNOS mRNA by inhibiting the activity of the transcription factor NF-κB, inhibits the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO product, and inhibits platelet aggregation and thrombus formation, thereby improving the experimental septic shock in animals. This article reviews the recent progress in cardiovasular pharmacology of HG, which will contribute to the further development and clinical application of it in the future.