[Effect of tripterine on concentration of free calcium and hydrogen in vascular smooth muscle cells].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of tripterine on concentration of free calcium (Ca2+) and hydrogen (H+) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC).


METHODS
By using fluorescence staining method, changes of the free calcium and hydrogen in single VSMC were studied with laser confocal scanning analyzer after different concentrations of fetal calf serum (FCS), tripterine and FCS plus tripterine were added into the culture pools respectively.


RESULTS
The concentration of intracellular Ca2+ increased rapidly, sequentially and significantly after addition of 30% FCS (P < 0.05), 0.3 mg/L tripterine plus 30% FCS had inhibition effect on the concentration of the intracellular Ca2+, 20% FCS reduced the concentration of intracellular H+ significantly (P < 0.05), and 0.2 mg/L tripterine caused a significant increasing concentration of H+ (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Tripterine has an antagonistic action on the increasing concentration of intracellular Ca2+ induced by FCS, the inhibitory effect of tripterine on the Ca2+ channel of VSMC membrane may be responsible for this new mechanism.
Chen
X
X
First Affiliated Hospital, Beijing Medical University, Beijing (100034).
Feng
M
M
Zhu
G
G
D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D014315:Triterpenes; D006859:Hydrogen; C050414:celastrol; D002118:Calcium