Effect of Ruscus extract and hesperidin methylchalcone on hypoxia-induced activation of endothelial cells.
BACKGROUND
Ruscus aculeatus extract and the flavonoid hesperidin methylchalcone (HMC) are drugs used in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency.


METHODS
In the present study, we investigated their effects on the activation of endothelial cells by hypoxia, a condition which mimics venous blood stasis.


RESULTS
We observed that Ruscus extract was able to inhibit the activation of endothelial cells by hypoxia: the decrease in ATP content, the activation of phospholipase A2 as well as the subsequent increase in neutrophil adherence with a maximal protection obtained at 50 microg/ml. HMC was also able to inhibit the hypoxia-induced decrease in ATP content. Furthermore, the effects of Ruscus extract and of HMC on this decrease seem to be additive.


CONCLUSIONS
The biochemical mechanism evidenced in this work might explain some of the beneficial therapeutic effects of these products in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency patients.
Bouaziz
N
N
Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Cellulaire--Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix--Namur, Belgium.
Michiels
C
C
Janssens
D
D
Berna
N
N
Eliaers
F
F
Panconi
E
E
Remacle
J
J
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002599:Chalcone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D047188:Chalcones; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D006569:Hesperidin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000378:metabolism; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014471:Umbilical Veins
D047188:Chalcones; D010936:Plant Extracts; C033022:hesperidin methylchalcone; D002599:Chalcone; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D006569:Hesperidin; D010741:Phospholipases A; D054467:Phospholipases A2