title: Salvianolic acid B inhibits atherogenesis of vascular cells through induction of Nrf2-dependent heme oxygenase-1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), one of the most active components of Danshen extracts, has beneficial roles in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, the precise mechanism by which Sal B exerts its effects on vascular cells is unclear. We aimed to elucidate the effects of Sal B on vascular cells and the underlying mechanisms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment of vascular smooth muscle cells with Sal B effectively inhibited platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced cell proliferation and migration, and markedly increased heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. These changes were accompanied by antioxidant effects, including decreases in the generation of reactive oxygen species and the NADP/NADPH ratio. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells, Sal B also strongly induced HO-1 and effectively inhibited tumor necrosis factor-α-induced NF-κB activation. Knockdown of HO-1 expression by siRNA abolished the effects of Sal B in vascular cells and prevented the inhibition of proliferation, migration, and inflammation in HO-1-deficient cells. In ex vivo culture of arterial rings isolated from nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-knockout mice, Sal B neither induce HO-1 expression and nor inhibit PDGF-induced neointimal hyperplasia in arteries, suggesting that Nrf2 plays a crucial role in the induction of HO-1 expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that Sal B exerts antiatherogenic effects by inhibiting the proliferation, migration, and inflammation of vascular cells through induction of HO-1 via Nrf2 activation.
authors.forename: Hyun Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: MiRan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Severance Integrative Research Institute for Cerebral & Cardiovascular Disease, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul120-752, Korea. seo99@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Eun Jig
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D053630:Depsides
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495637:Nfe2l2 protein, rat; C076944:salvianolic acid B; D053630:Depsides