[Effect of aloe-emodin on proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells after arterial injury].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of Aloe-emodin (AE), an active ingredient of Rhubarb, on the kinetics of proliferation of smooth muscular cells (SMCs) cultured in vitro after rabbit iliac arterial injury.


METHODS
Forty-eight hours after de-endothelialization (balloon endothelial denudation), the iliac arteries of the Japanese white rabbits were isolated and the smooth muscle cells were cultured primarily. AE was added to culture medium containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). The cultures were pulse-labeled with 3H-TdR and TdR uptake into VSMC were measured and the cell cycle of the cultures were analyzed by using flow cytometer.


RESULTS
Compared with control, when the concentration gradient ranged from 10(-1) to 10(-5) g/L, the amount (cpm, count per minute) of 3H-TdR uptake into SMCs has significant differences (P < 0.05) and 10(-1) and 10(-2) g/L AE showed strong inhibitory effects on TdR uptake into VSMC and the percentage of inhibition [% inhibition = (cpm without AE - cpm with AE)/cpm without AE x 100%] was more than 90%. AE displayed concentration dependent inhibitory effects. The percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase was increased, but the percentage of cells in S phase was decreased in AE group, the transition of SMC cycle phase from G0 to S was blocked.


CONCLUSIONS
AE is a strong inhibitor to the proliferation of SMCs and the pharmacological action of AE might reduce SMC proliferation in vivo and decrease intimal hyperplasia of restenosis.
Yin
C
C
People's Hospital, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100044.
Xu
C
C
D000818:Animals; D000880:Anthraquinones; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004642:Emodin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000293:injuries*; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D011817:Rabbits
D000880:Anthraquinones; C518327:aloe emodin; D004642:Emodin