Echinacea supports heart regenerationAvemar and Echinacea extracts enhance mobilization and homing of CD34(+) stem cells in rats with acute myocardial infarction.
Moderate relevance to heart disease
We investigated how Echinacea extract could influence heart regeneration and stem cell mobilization in rats suffering from acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The study showed that rats treated with Echinacea experienced significant increases in the number of circulating CD34(+) stem cells. These peaks were observed particularly on the first day after AMI and continued to be notable on day 14.
The results indicated that Echinacea not only helped increase circulating stem cells but also enhanced their homing to the heart tissue over time. This suggests a potential role for Echinacea in improving heart recovery after injury by mobilizing these important healing cells.
Interestingly, treatment with Echinacea also impacted other biomarkers, such as creatine kinase and vascular endothelial growth factor, which are related to heart health. Overall, our findings suggest that Echinacea can be a supportive treatment option for heart disease, particularly in the context of promoting stem cell response to damage.
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