title: Regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and asymmetric dimethylarginine by matrine attenuates isoproterenol-induced acute myocardial injury in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of matrine on regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in isoproterenol-induced acute myocardial ischaemic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with matrine (200, 100 and 50 mg/kg) orally for 10 days. Acute myocardial injury was induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol. Serum and haemodynamic parameters, histopathological variables and expression of protein levels were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral administration of matrine (200, 100 and 50 mg/kg) significantly attenuated isoproterenol-induced cardiac necrosis and left ventricular dysfunction. Matrine treatment restored impaired ventricular Akt and eNOS protein expression with concomitant increased phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473) and eNOS (Ser1177), and also restored glycogen synthase kinase 3β activity, as indicated by increased phosphorylation at Ser 9. Moreover, treatment with matrine had no effect on the isoproterenol-induced elevated protein arginine methyltransferase 1 protein expression, but could significantly normalize the reduced dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 expression and attenuate the increased serum level of ADMA. The expression of catechol-o-methyltransferase and monoamine oxidase did not differ among all groups (all P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggested that matrine protects against isoproterenol-induced myocardial ischaemia via eNOS and ADMA pathway.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia, China.
authors: Xiaobing
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Xiao
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Yafang
authors: Y
authors: Guo
authors: Ning
authors: N
authors: Deng
authors: Ping
authors: P
authors: Zheng
authors: Qingbin
authors: Q
authors: Xu
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Wu
authors: Guidong
authors: G
authors: Dai
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D007545:Isoproterenol; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D011807:Quinolizines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D029909:Sophora / Q000737:chemistry*; D000093842:Matrines
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011807:Quinolizines; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D000581:Amidohydrolases; D007545:Isoproterenol; D000093842:Matrines