title: Vasodilator effects of des(alpha-carboxy-3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)lithospermic acid (8-epiblechnic acid), a derivative of lithospermic acids in salviae miltiorrhizae radix.
abstract: A potent vasodilator substance (compound III), [alpha]D +141 degrees, was isolated from salviae miltiorrhizae radix (dan-shen). This substance was determined to be des(alpha-carboxy-3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)lithospermic acid on the basis of spectrometric and chemical evidence, and was identified with an authentic sample of 8-epiblechnic acid. However, comp. III seemed to be formed from lithospermic acid (LSA) and LSA-B during a chemical procedure to separate active ingredients. It caused a sustained, slowly developing relaxation of rat aortic strips precontracted with norepinephrine (NE) in preparations with or without endothelium. The NE-induced concentration-dependent contraction of aortic strips was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with comp. III. Concentration-response curves for Ca(2+)-induced contracture of depolarized aortic strips with isotonic high K+ (60 nM) were not affected by comp. III. Ca(2+)-induced contraction of aortic strips, preincubated with 10(-6) M NE in the presence of 10(-6) M nicardipine and 0.01 mM EGTA in Ca(2+)-free solution, was slightly inhibited by comp. III. Pretreatment of aortic strips with comp. III slightly inhibited the phorbol ester (PMA)-induced contraction. These results suggest that comp. III inhibits NE-induced contraction of the aortic strips through reduction in Ca2+ mobilization. Since comp. III inhibits NE-induced sustained contraction, this agent may be useful in the treatment of hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Hoshi University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iizuka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D053630:Depsides; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D015220:Calcium Channels; D053630:Depsides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; C046833:lithospermic acid; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D009638:Norepinephrine