[Morphometric investigation on hypoxic structural remodeling of intraacinar pulmonary arteries].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the inhibitory effects of Radix Astragali (RA) on hypoxic structural remodeling of intraacinar pulmonary arteries (IAPA) and pulmonary hypertension (PHT).


METHODS
60 rats were divided into H (hypoxia) group (n = 20 rats) H + RA group (n = 20) and normal control (C) group (n = 20). The rats of H group and H + RA group were fed in hypoxic environment under normal atmospheric pressure (10% O2, 10 hours/day). On the 15th and 30th day of hypoxia, right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and right ventricle hypertrophy index (RVHI) were measured and pulmonary vessel changes were studied under light and electron microscope with morphometric analysis.


RESULTS
Compared with H + RA group on 30th day, RVSP in H was 1.8 time as high as that of H + RA(P < 0.05); RVHI in H was 1.3 time as high as that of H + RA (P < 0.05); the media thickness of IAPA in H was 2.3 time as high as that of H + RA (P < 0.05); the density of adventitial fibroblasts of IAPA was 13.1 +/- 0.3 (H) and 7.6 +/- 0.2 (H + RA) (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Preserving the IAPA wall cells and dilating IAPA by RA may play an important role in inhibiting remodeling of IAPA and PTH.
Xi
S
S
Department of Pathology, Cardiovascular Institute and Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100037.
Ruan
Y
Y
Liu
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal