Inhibitory effects of ligustilide and butylidenephthalide on bFGF-stimulated proliferation of rat smooth muscle cells.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the bio-affinities of ligustilide and butylidenephthalide to rat aortic smooth muscle cells and the inhibitory effects of them on bFGF-stimulated proliferation of rat vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC).


METHODS
VSMCs were cultured from rat aorta pectoralis and identified by an immunohistochemical method. The bio-affinities between solute (ligustilide or butylidenephthalide) and cell membrane were measured by rat aortic cell membrane chromatography (CMC). The inhibitory effects of ligustilide and butylidenephthalide on bFGF-stimulated VSMC proliferation were evaluated by MIT colorimetric method.


RESULTS
Both ligustilide and butylidenephthalide had selective affinities to rat aortic smooth muscle cell as the same as verapamil, one of the calcium ion antagonists. They could potently inhibit the bFGF-stimulated VSMC proliferation at the concentrations of 5.5 and 11.1 micromol x L(-1), separately (P < 0.05), but had no effects on the normal VSMC growth.


CONCLUSIONS
Both ligustilide and butylidenephthalide can inhibit the abnormal proliferation of VSMC induced by bFGF.
Liang
Ming-jin
MJ
Faculty of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710061, China.
He
Lang-chong
LC