Effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts on rat hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, heme oxygenase-1 and nitric oxide synthase.
- Author:
Ying CHEN
1
;
Yingmao RUAN
;
Li LI
;
Yan CHU
;
Xinlin XU
;
Qingzhi WANG
;
Xiaomei ZHOU
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Animals; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; pharmacology; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); metabolism; Heme Oxygenase-1; Hypertension, Pulmonary; drug therapy; enzymology; Hypoxia; complications; Nitric Oxide Synthase; metabolism; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Salvia miltiorrhiza; chemistry
- From: Chinese Medical Journal 2003;116(5):757-760
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) extracts on the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in small pulmonary arteries (SPAs) of rats with chronic hypoxia.
METHODSAfter two weeks of hypoxia, rats were treated with diltiazem, and small, median, and large doses of SM extracts. The lungs were tested for the expression and distribution of HO-1, endothelial NOS (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) by using immunohistochemistry and Western blot method.
RESULTSMedian and large doses of SM extracts significantly reduced hypoxia-induced media thickening in the SPAs (similar with diltiazem), recovered repaired ultrastructure injury, decreased HO-1 and iNOS levels, and increased eNOS expression in the SPAs.
CONCLUSIONSMedian and large doses of SM extracts play significant roles in inhibiting structural remodeling in rats with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. These effects might attribute to the suppression of HO-1 and iNOS, and the promotion of eNOS expression under the conditions of hypoxia.
