title: Protective effects of icariin on human umbilical vein endothelial cell injury induced by H2O2 in vitro.
abstract: Icariin is a flavonoid isolated from Epimedium and is considered to be the major pharmacological active component of Epimedii Herba. In the present investigation, we studied and confirmed the protective activity of icariin on H2O2-induced injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cell line: ECV-304. Eighteen-hour treatment with 750 micromol l(-1) H2O2 significantly decreased the viability of ECV-304 cells, which was accompanied with apparent apoptotic features, including distinct cell morphological alteration and the increase of caspase-3 expression. In addition, it is observed that H2O2 increased the amounts of malondialdenhyde (MDA) and the dehydrogenase (LDH), and decreased the content of nitric oxide (NO) in ECV-304 cells. However, pretreatment with 0.1-50 micromol l(-1) icariin resulted in a significant recovery from H2O2-induced cell apoptosis. Also, it decreased other H2O2-induced damage in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, pretreatment with icariin decreased the expression of caspase-3, which was known to be involved as a key role executor in H2O2-induced cell apoptosis. The endothelial cells apoptosis were detected by acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) dual staining as well as flow cytometry, and the expression of pro-apoptotic factor caspase-3 were detected by immunocytochemical method. Taken together, these data suggest that protective effects of icariin against oxidative injuries of ECV-304 cells may be achieved via decreasing of caspase expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine College, HangZhou 310006, PR China.
authors.forename: Yun-Kai
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhao-Quan
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005419:Flavonoids; D020011:Protective Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D011794:Quercetin; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; C056599:icariin