Background Chronic heart failure (CHF) had been characterized as an activated sympathetic system leading to the alteration of adrenergic receptor (AR) levels in the heart.Thus far,not much research has been done with regard to traditional Chinese medical treatment for CHF.We investigated the effect of Shexiangbaoxin pills (SXBXP) on the function of the heart and the expression of α1-AR and β-AR subtypes in the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels and protein levels of non-infarction left ventricular tissue from rats with CHF induced by myocardial infarction.Methods Models of CHF were established by left anterior descending coronary artery ligature.Fifty-four Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups:normal control group (group A),sham operation group (group B),CHF model group (group C),positive medicine control group (group D),and small-dose SXBXP group (group E) and large-dose SXBXP group (group F),deployed intragastrically.Cardiac function was examined by echocardiography before and after therapy; mRNA expressed levels were measured by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for β1-AR,β2-AR,β3-AR,α1A-AR,α1B-AR,and α1D-AR; protein levels were measured by West blotting analysis for β1-AR,β2-AR,α1A-AR,α1B-AR,and α1D-AR in non-infarction left ventricular tissue.Results There was no significant difference in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between groups A and B.Compared to group B,LVEF of groups C,D,E,and F were significantly decreased (P ＜0.01) before therapy.After therapy,compared to group C,LVEF of group F was significantly improved (P ＜0.05).Compared to group B,β1-AR and α1B-AR expressed levels were markedly decreased (P ＜0.05),α1A-AR and β3-AR were significantly increased (P ＜0.01 ) in group C,and in both mRNA and protein expressed levels β2-AR had no significant difference between groups B and C (P ＞0.05).α1D-AR mRNA levels were unchanged in each group (P ＞0.05),but α1D-AR protein level was significantly decreased in group C (P ＜0.05).After treatment,compared to group C,mRNA levels of β1-AR and α1B-AR were significantly increased (P ＜0.05 and P ＜0.01),and α1A-AR was markedly decreased in groups D,E,and F (P ＜0.05).β3-AR level significantly declined in both groups D and F (P ＜0.01),but β2-AR and α1D-AR expressed levels remained unchanged in each group (P ＞0.05).Protein levels,compared to group C,β1-AR was significantly increased (P ＜0.01,P ＜0.05,and P ＜0.01) and α1A-AR was markedly decreased in groups D,E,and F (P ＜0.05,P ＜0.01,and P ＜0.01).β2-AR expressed level was significantly increased in group F (P ＜0.05).α1B-AR expressed level was significantly increased in both groups E and F (P ＜0.05),and α1D-AR was remarkably increased in both groups D and F (P ＜0.05).Conclusions After SXBXP treatment,LVEF was increased and cardiac function was significantly ameliorated in rats with CHF.The therapeutic effect of SXBXP may be related to better blood supply for myocardium and up-regulation of β1-AR and α 1B-AR,and down-regulation of α1A-AR and β3-AR.The results show that SXBXP can be used in treatment of CHF and the therapeutic effect of large-dose SXBXP is superior to small-dose SXBXP.