Table I.

Treatment of the rats in the different groups.

	Treatment 1		Treatment 2
Group	Reagent	Description	Reagent	Description
Ctrl	Physiological saline	10 days prior to injection; oral administration; equal volume to matrine	Sodium citrate buffer (pH 4.5)	Equal volume to STZ injection; single intraperitoneal injection
DbCM	Physiological saline	10 days before injection; oral administration; equal volume to matrine	STZ (dissolved in sodium citrate buffer, pH 4.5)	65 mg/kg body weight; single intraperitoneal injection
Mat	Matrine	10 days before injection; oral administration; 200 mg/kg/day for 10 consecutive days	Sodium citrate buffer, pH 4.5	Equal volume to STZ injection; single intraperitoneal injection
DbCM+Mat	Matrine	10 days prior to injection; oral administration; 200 mg/kg/day for 10 consecutive days	STZ (dissolved in sodium citrate buffer with pH 4.5)	65 mg/kg body weight; single intraperitoneal injection

Ctrl, control; Mat, matrine; STZ, streptozotocin; DbCM, diabetic cardiomyopathy.