title: Chronic supplementation of paeonol combined with danshensu for the improvement of vascular reactivity in the cerebral basilar artery of diabetic rats.
abstract: One of the leading causes of death in the world is cerebrovascular disease. Numerous Chinese traditional medicines, such as Cortex Moutan (root bark of  Paeonia suffruticosa Andrew) and Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae (root and rhizome of  Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge), protect against cerebrovascular diseases and exhibit  anti-atherosclerotic effects. Traditional medicines have been routinely used for a long  time in China. In addition, these two herbs are prescribed together in clinical practice. Therefore, the pharmacodynamic interactions between the active constituents of these two herbs, which are paeonol (Pae) and danshensu (DSS), should be particularly studied. The study of Pae and DSS can provide substantial foundations in understanding their mechanisms and empirical evidence to support clinical practice. This study investigated the effects and possible mechanisms of the pharmacodynamic interaction between Pae and DSS on cerebrovascular malfunctioning in diabetes. Experimental diabetes was induced in rats, which was then treated with Pae, DSS, and Pae + DSS for eight weeks. Afterward, cerebral arteries from all groups were isolated and equilibrated in an organ bath with Krebs buffer and ring tension. Effects of Pae, DSS, and Pae + DSS were observed on vessel relaxation with or without endothelium as well as on the basal tonus of vessels from normal and diabetic rats. Indexes about oxidative stress were also determined. We report that the cerebral arteries from diabetic rats show decreased vascular reactivity to acetylcholine (ACh) which was corrected in Pae, DSS, and Pae + DSS treated groups. Furthermore, phenylephrine (PE)-induced contraction response decreased in the treated groups. Phenylephrine and CaCl(2)-induced vasoconstrictions are partially inhibited in the three treated groups under Ca2+-free medium. Pre-incubated with tetraethylammonium, a non-selective K+ channel blocker, the antagonized relaxation responses increased in DSS and Pae + DSS treated diabetic groups compared with those in diabetic and Pae-treated diabetic groups. In addition, superoxide dismutase activity and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances content significantly changed in the presence of Pae + DSS. We therefore conclude that both Pae and DSS treatments prevent diabetes-induced vascular damage. Furthermore, Pae + DSS prove to be the most efficient treatment regimen. The combination of Pae and DSS produce significant protective effects through the reduction of oxidative stress and through intracellular Ca2+ regulatory mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China. wasiwan@163.com.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ya-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zi-Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xuan-Xuan
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Peng-Cheng
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Si-Wang
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000098:Acetophenones / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D007773:Lactates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000098:Acetophenones; D001786:Blood Glucose; D015220:Calcium Channels; D007773:Lactates; D015221:Potassium Channels; D010656:Phenylephrine; C013638:paeonol; C035055:3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000109:Acetylcholine