Effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts on rat hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, heme oxygenase-1 and nitric oxide synthase.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) extracts on the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in small pulmonary arteries (SPAs) of rats with chronic hypoxia.


METHODS
After two weeks of hypoxia, rats were treated with diltiazem, and small, median, and large doses of SM extracts. The lungs were tested for the expression and distribution of HO-1, endothelial NOS (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) by using immunohistochemistry and Western blot method.


RESULTS
Median and large doses of SM extracts significantly reduced hypoxia-induced media thickening in the SPAs (similar with diltiazem), recovered repaired ultrastructure injury, decreased HO-1 and iNOS levels, and increased eNOS expression in the SPAs.


CONCLUSIONS
Median and large doses of SM extracts play significant roles in inhibiting structural remodeling in rats with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. These effects might attribute to the suppression of HO-1 and iNOS, and the promotion of eNOS expression under the conditions of hypoxia.
Chen
Ying
Y
Department of Pathology, Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital, Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
Ruan
Yingmao
Y
Li
Li
L
Chu
Yan
Y
Xu
Xinlin
X
Wang
Qingzhi
Q
Zhou
Xiaomei
X
D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000378:metabolism*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1