Mechanisms of inhibiting proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells by serum of rats treated with Dahuang Zhechong pill.
Dahuang Zhechong pill (DHZCP), a famous and classical Chinese herbal prescription, consists of twelve traditional Chinese drugs: Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker., Rheum officinale Baill., Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi., Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Prunus persica Batsch., Prunus armeniaca L., Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch., Toxicodendron vernicifluum F.A. Barkl., Tabanus bivittatus Mats., Hirudo nipponica Whitman. and Holotrichia diomphalia Bates., and is clinically used to treat hepatic diseases, gynecopathy and atherosclerosis in China. Our previous studies confirm that DHZCP is able to significantly inhibit proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in vivo and in vitro.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the mechanisms of inhibition of VSMCs proliferation by DHZCP with the method of Serum Pharmacology.


METHODS
VSMCs proliferation of rat was assayed by measuring the cell viability with the MTT method, and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) expression in VSMCs was examined by the immunocytochemical method. Cycle and apoptosis of VSMCs were evaluated with flow cytometry.


RESULTS
The serum of DHZCP-treated rats not only inhibited endothelin-1 (ET-1) stimulated cell proliferation and PDGF expression in VSMCs, but also promoted apoptosis of the proliferated VSMCs. Meanwhile, the serum of rats containing DHZCP interfered with the cycle of PDGF-stimulated VSMCs, increasing proportion of the cells in G(0)/G(1) phases and decreasing proportion of the cells in S and G(2)/M phases.


CONCLUSIONS
These suggest that the inhibitory effect of DHZCP on VSMCs proliferation is partially attributed to depressing PDGF expression in VSMCs, retarding the cell cycle and to promoting apoptosis of VSMCs.
Zhang
Yuan-Hui
YH
Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an 710061, PR China.
Liu
Jun-Tian
JT
Wen
Bin-Yu
BY
Liu
Na
N
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
C521634:Dahuang Zhechong pill; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019332:Endothelin-1; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor