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Sepsis-related myocardial dysfunction significantly increases patient mortality and remains a major challenge in critical care medicine. Its pathological mechanisms involve uncontrolled inflammation, excessive oxidative stress, and impaired stress tolerance of cardiomyocytes. Currently, no specific treatment methods are available. Although supportive treatment remains the mainstream in clinical practice, effective interventions for septic myocardial injury are still lacking. This review systematically summarizes the cardioprotective effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparations, including Xuebijing injection (containing safflower, red peony root, and salvia miltiorrhiza) and Shenfu Injection (containing ginseng and aconite), in cell and animal models. The mechanisms include antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and enhancement of cardiomyocyte resistance to injury. Some of these preparations have been recommended in the "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sepsis" in China and are used as adjunctive treatments in intensive care units (ICUs). Preliminary clinical studies suggest that these agents may improve microcirculation and potentially enhance survival rates. This review not only highlights the multi-target potential of TCM in sepsis-induced myocardial injury but also provides a direction for future high-quality mechanistic research and international multicenter randomized controlled trials, thereby facilitating the integration of traditional medicine into modern critical care practice.
Keywords: Sepsis-induced myocardial injury, Traditional Chinese medicine extracts, Anti-inflammatory agents, Antioxidants, Herbal cardioprotection, Clinical trials
