title: Mechanism and effect of shijueming (Concha Haliotidis) on serum calcium in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the impact of Shijueming (Concha Haliotidis) on spontaneously hypertensive rats via blood pressure, serum calcium, vascular smooth muscle membrane L-type calcium channel alpha1 C subunit (CaL-alpha1C), plasma membrane calcium-ATPase (PMCA) mRNA expression, and the L-type calcium channel in vascular smooth muscle cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve-week-old male rats with spontaneous hypertension were divided into three groups: a Shijueming (Concha Haliotidis) group (group 1), a nifedipine group (group 2), and a distilled water group (group 3). All were given a four-week treatment. Blood pressure and dissociative serum calcium were examined before treatment. Blood pressure was taken every week during treatment. Atomic absorption spectrometry was used to examine dissociative serum calcium. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to examine the expression of CaL-alpha1C and PMCA1 mRNA. The patch clamp technique was used to examine the electrophysiological characteristics of the vascular smooth muscle cell calcium channels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After treatment, blood pressure of the Shijueming (Concha Haliotidis) group lowered but not significantly (P > 0.05). Blood pressure of the nifedipine group lowered significantly (P < 0.05). Blood pressure of the distilled water group remained high. The concentration of serum calcium in the Shijueming (Concha Haliotidis) and the distilled water groups lowered (P < 0.05). Expression of CaL-alpha1C mRNA in the nifedipine group decreased compared with the distilled water group (P < 0.01). There was the decreasing trend in the Shijueming (Concha Haliotidis) group, but it was not statistically significant. Shijueming (Concha Haliotidis) also had effects on the expression of PMCA1 mRNA but without statistical significance. However, there was a significant decreasing effect on vascular smooth muscle cell I(Ca)-L flow.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicated that Shijueming (Concha Haliotidis) could increase serum calcium and decrease blood pressure. It may work by influencing calcium channels, expression of PMCA1 mRNA, and regulating ion calcium channels and calcium-ATPase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Changlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xuejun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weili
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaoyin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D053499:Plasma Membrane Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D053499:Plasma Membrane Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D002118:Calcium