Panax Notoginseng Saponins Combined with Dual Antiplatelet Drugs Potentiates Anti-Thrombotic Effect with Alleviated Gastric Injury in A Carotid Artery Thrombosis Rat Model.

OBJECTIVE

To observe the combination effects of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS)and dual antiplatelet drugs (DAPT), and to explore the mechanism via cyclooxygenase /prostaglandin pathway.

METHODS

Right carotid artery thrombosis was induced in Wistar rats by infiltration with 70% FeCl, and the animals were randomly divided into sham group, model group, DAPT group and PNS + DAPT group, intragastrically treated for 4 weeks. The cerebral pia mater microcirculation was observed in vivo after anesthetizing by anatomical microscope. The wet weight of carotid artery thrombosis was measured. Gastric mucosal injury was observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Platelet aggregation rate was detected with adenosine diphosphate -induced turbidimetry. Platelet CD62p expression was detected by flow cytometry. Concentrations of 6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha, prostaglandin E in gastric mucosa and thromboxane B, 6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha, tissue plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor, and fibrin fragment D in the plasma were measured by radioimmunoassay.

RESULTS

PNS and DAPT increased the blood flow volume of cerebral pia mater and decreased erythrocyte aggregation and leukocyte adhesion of model rats. Compared to DAPT, PNS and DAPT further reduced the weight of carotid artery thrombosis with enhanced inhibition of platelet aggregation, increased tissue plasminogen activator levels and decreased fibrin fragment D levels. PNS and DAPT alleviated gastric injury induced by dual antiplatelet drugs and upregulated the expression of 6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha in the gastric mucosa compared with DAPT.

CONCLUSIONS

PNS combined with DAPT increased anti-thrombosis effects of DAPT and mitigated DAPT-related gastric injury. The underlying mechanisms may be associated with enhanced antiplatelet aggregation and activation of the fibrinolytic system and up-regulation of 6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha expression in gastric mucosa.