title: Fo Shou San, an ancient Chinese herbal decoction, protects endothelial function through increasing endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity.
abstract: Fo Shou San (FSS) is an ancient herbal decoction comprised of Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CR; Chuanxiong) and Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR; Danggui) in a ratio of 2:3. Previous studies indicate that FSS promotes blood circulation and dissipates blood stasis, thus which is being used widely to treat vascular diseases. Here, we aim to determine the cellular mechanism for the vascular benefit of FSS. The treatment of FSS reversed homocysteine-induced impairment of acetylcholine (ACh)-evoked endothelium-dependent relaxation in aortic rings, isolated from rats. Like radical oxygen species (ROS) scavenger tempol, FSS attenuated homocysteine-stimulated ROS generation in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and it also stimulated the production of nitric oxide (NO) as measured by fluorescence dye and biochemical assay. In addition, the phosphorylation levels of both Akt kinase and endothelial NO synthases (eNOS) were markedly increased by FSS treatment, which was abolished by an Akt inhibitor triciribine. Likewise, triciribine reversed FSS-induced NO production in HUVECs. Finally, FSS elevated intracellular Ca(2+) levels in HUVECs, and the Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA-AM inhibited the FSS-stimulated eNOS phosphorylation. The present results show that this ancient herbal decoction benefits endothelial function through increased activity of Akt kinase and eNOS; this effect is causally via a rise of intracellular Ca(2+) and a reduction of ROS.
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Cathy W C
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiao Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ken Y Z
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Chi Wai
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: David T W
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Roy C Y
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Tina T X
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Karl W K
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Tsim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D049449:Luminescence; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C555978:fo shou san; D006710:Homocysteine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D002118:Calcium