Ling Shanhong, Nheu Lina, Dai Aozhi, Guo Zhixin, Komesaroff Paul
Department of Medicine, Monash University Central and Eastern Clinical School, Prahran, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Int J Cardiol. 2008 Aug 29;128(3):350-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2007.05.111. Epub 2007 Aug 13.
Danshen (DS, Salvia miltiorrhiza), Shanchi (SQ, Panax notoginseng), Shanzai (SZ, Hawthorn) and Heshouwu (HSW, Polygonum multiflorum Thunb) are four medicinal herbs commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine and previously shown to have activity that may contribute to cardiovascular protection. This study aims to investigate effects of these herbs on vascular endothelial cells with respect to cell viability and expression of cellular adhesion molecules under inflammatory conditions.
Herbal extracts were prepared by an established industrial manufacturing process. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were incubated with the herbal extract under normal or serum-free culture and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha stimulation. Cell apoptosis, apoptosis-associated gene expression, expression of cellular adhesion molecules, DNA synthesis, and growth were assessed via morphological examination, Annexin-V staining, Western blotting analysis, Flow-Cytometry, [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation assay, and cell number study.
SZ and HSW significantly inhibited apoptosis in HUVEC undergoing serum deprivation and TNFalpha stimulation, accompanied by down-regulation of caspase-3 gene expression. DS and SQ significantly attenuated TNFalpha-induced expression of adhesion molecule VCAM-1 and also ICAM-1 by DS in the cells. All four herbs at therapeutic concentrations (100 microg/mL) inhibited DNA synthesis (10-42% decrease in [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation rates) and growth (5-10% decrease in cell numbers) in HUVEC under normal cultures.
DS, SQ, SZ and HSW are physiologically active on human vascular endothelial cells. The actions by HSW and SZ to reduce apoptosis and DS and SQ to inhibit adhesion molecule expression may help protect endothelial function and inhibit atherogenesis, while their actions to inhibit DNA synthesis and cell growth may weaken the ability of endothelial repair. Further studies are needed to identify the chemical compounds responsible to these physiological effects by these herbs.
丹参（DS，Salvia miltiorrhiza）、三七（SQ，Panax notoginseng）、山楂（SZ，Hawthorn）和何首乌（HSW，Polygonum multiflorum Thunb）是四种常用于传统中药的草药，先前已证明它们具有可能有助于心血管保护的活性。本研究旨在探讨这些草药在炎症条件下对血管内皮细胞的细胞活力和细胞黏附分子表达的影响。
通过既定的工业制造工艺制备草药提取物。将人脐静脉内皮细胞（HUVEC）在正常或无血清培养以及肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）α刺激下与草药提取物孵育。通过形态学检查、膜联蛋白-V染色、蛋白质印迹分析、流式细胞术、[³H]-胸腺嘧啶核苷掺入试验和细胞数量研究来评估细胞凋亡、凋亡相关基因表达、细胞黏附分子表达、DNA合成和生长。
SZ和HSW显著抑制血清剥夺和TNFα刺激下HUVEC的凋亡，同时伴有caspase-3基因表达的下调。DS和SQ显著减弱TNFα诱导的细胞中黏附分子VCAM-1以及DS诱导的ICAM-1的表达。在正常培养下，所有四种草药在治疗浓度（100μg/mL）时均抑制HUVEC的DNA合成（[³H]-胸腺嘧啶核苷掺入率降低10 - 42%）和生长（细胞数量减少5 - 10%）。
DS、SQ、SZ和HSW对人血管内皮细胞具有生理活性。HSW和SZ减少凋亡以及DS和SQ抑制黏附分子表达的作用可能有助于保护内皮功能并抑制动脉粥样硬化形成，而它们抑制DNA合成和细胞生长的作用可能会削弱内皮修复能力。需要进一步研究以确定这些草药产生这些生理效应的化学成分。
