[Effects of Salviae miltiorrhizae and salvianolic acid B on microcirculation of liver in mice with portal hypertension].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effects of Salviae miltiorrhizae and its component, salvianolic acid B (SA-B), on the microcirculation of liver in mice with portal hypertension induced by endothelin-1 (ET-1).


METHODS
Eighty-four Kunming mice were randomly divided into 7 groups: untreated group, endothelin A receptor (ETAR) blocker group, Astragali mongolici group, Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) group, Corydalis Yanhusuo group, Salviae miltiorrhizae group and SA-B group. There were 12 mice in each group. Mice were pretreated with a corresponding equivalent volume of drug or distilled water for 3 days, and then the portal hypertension in mice was induced by continuous injection of ET-1 into coccygeal vein using a micro-injection pump. Six mice in each group were used to observe the average liver blood flow volume by laser-Doppler flow instrument before and after injection of ET-1, and the other six rats were used to observe the hepatic microcirculation velocity in vivo by an inverted microscope.


RESULTS
The average blood flow of liver in mice decreased in each group after ET-1 injection. But the changes of average blood flow in the SA-B group and the ETAR blocker group were less than that in the untreated group (P<0.01). The changes of average blood volume in the Astragali mongolici group and the APS group were similar to that in the untreated group, but more than that in the SA-B group after injection of ET-1. The change of average blood flow in the SA-B group showed no significant difference when compared with the ETAR blocker group. The microcirculatory flow velocity in liver also decreased in each group after ET-1 injection. But the changes of microcirculatory flow velocity in the SA-B group and the ETAR blocker group were less than that in the untreated group (P<0.05, P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the changes of microcirculatory flow velocity among the Salviae miltiorrhizae group, the SA-B group and the ETAR blocker group.


CONCLUSIONS
Salviae miltiorrhizae and SA-B can decrease the average blood flow and microcirculatory flow velocity in liver in mice with portal hypertension, which may be one of the mechanisms of Salviae miltiorrhizae and SA-B in decreasing portal hypertension.
Tian
Tian
T
Institute of Liver Disease, Key Laboratory of Liver and Kidney Disease of the Ministry of Education, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
Xu
Lie-Ming
LM
D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects*; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D053630:Depsides
D001572:Benzofurans; C076944:salvianolic acid B; D053630:Depsides