Ilexsaponin A significantly reduces proapoptotic proteins including caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3 and bax and increases anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 in hypoxia/reoxygenation cardiomyocytes. Ilexsaponin A treatment increases the expression levels of p-Akt in hypoxia/reoxygenation cellular model and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion animal model.
Ilexsaponin A (10 or 40 mg/kg) reduce the myocardial infarct size in a dose dependent manner in male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 280-320 g.