title: [Effects of Danshen on number and activity of endothelial progenitor cells of patients with hypercholesterolemia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of Danshen on number and activity of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) of patients with Hypercholesterolemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  24 patients with Hypercholesterolemia were randomLy divided into 2 groups: control group (n = 12), and treatment group (n = 12, receiving Composite Denshen Pilulae, 10# tid for 2 weeks). after 2 weeks, 20 mL peripheral blood was obtained from each patient, Mononuclear fraction of human peripheral blood was obtained by density gradient centrifugation, plated on fibronectin coated culture dishes. The cells were identified by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry and tested the ability to intake ac-LDL. Cell clusters were viewed with an inverted microscope, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of PE-CD34 and FITC-AC133 was performed to detect number of EPCs, EPC proliferation and migration were assayed with MTT assay, modified Boyden chamber assay. EPCs adhesion ability assay was performed by replating cells on fibronectin-coated dishes, and then counting adherent cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Numbers of EPCs (10(3) cells per 1 mL peripheral blood) of treatment group was higher than control group (7.20 +/- 1.29 vs 6.88 +/- 1.00). Compared with group control, numbers of clusters (per 40 power microscopic field), adhesive EPCs (per 400 power microscopic field) and migratory EPCs (per 200 power microscopic field) of treatment group were significantly increased (4.47 +/- 0.94 vs 3.38 +/- 0.57, P <0.01, 11.81 +/- 2.29 vs 10.03 +/- 1.32, P <0.05 and 15.75 +/- 2.27 vs 11.95 +/- 1.28, P <0.01, respectively), while OD vallue of treatment group were significantly increased too (0.27 +/- 0.04 vs 0. 20 +/- 0.03, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Danshen can significantly enhance EPCs functional activity of patients with Hypercholesterolemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325000, China.
authors.forename: Kang-ting
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Huai-qin
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ji-fei
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hai-ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002452:Cell Count; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology