title: Hemodynamic effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza on cirrhotic rats.
abstract: Salvia miltiorrhiza (Sm) administration has been shown to reduce hepatic fibrosis in rats. We investigated the hemodynamic effects of Sm on bile duct ligated (BDL) rats. Hemodynamic, histological, and vascular contractile studies were conducted in rats 4 weeks after bile duct ligation. An aqueous extract of Sm (0.2 g twice per day) or vehicle was administered for 4 weeks to BDL rats. Sm treatment in BDL rats significantly reduced histological grades of fibrosis and ameliorated the portal hypertensive state (including portal venous pressure, superior mesenteric artery blood flow, cardiac index, and total peripheral resistance) as compared with vehicle treatment. Moreover, Sm treatment enhanced the vascular sensitivity of mesenteric arteries to phenylephrine in BDL rats. Sm treatment had no effect on plasma biochemical profiles of either BDL or normal rats. Our results suggest that 4-week Sm treatment ameliorates the portal hypertensive state in BDL rats.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. huangyt@ym.edu.tw
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001652:Bile Ducts; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000188:drug therapy; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008026:Ligation; D008106:Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D002784:Cholesterol; D001663:Bilirubin