Pretreatment with HSN (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) in I/R injured AMI rats revealed reductions in myocardial infarct size, mitochondrial function, and histological injury, and inhibited cardiac cell apoptosis by hindering the AKT/ASK-1/p38 MAPK pathway. This evidence concerns the gene MAP3K5 and myocardial infarction.