title: Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen) inhibits L-type calcium current and attenuates calcium transient and contractility in rat ventricular myocytes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM, Danshen), a traditional Chinese herbal drug, has been widely used for hundreds of years to treat coronary artery disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the effects of SM on the L-type Ca(2+) current (ICa-L) with whole-cell patch-clamp technique in rat ventricular myocytes, and its influence on Ca(2+) transient and contractility using video-based edge detection and dual excitation fluorescence photomultiplier systems as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to SM solution caused a concentration- and voltage-dependent blockade of ICa-L, and the dose of SM solution (10g/l) decreased the maximal inhibitory effect of 35.2±1.2%. However, SM solution did not significantly change the current-voltage relationship or reversal potential of ICa-L, nor did it altered the activation and inactivation gating properties of cardiac Ca(2+) channels. Meanwhile, SM decreased the amplitude of myocyte shortening and the peak value of Ca(2+) transient with a significant decrease in the time to 90% of the baseline (Tr), but the time to 10% of the peak (Tp) was not dramatically prolonged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that SM significantly inhibited L-type Ca(2+) channels, decreased [Ca(2+)]i and contractility in adult rat cardiac myocytes. These findings may be relevant to the cardioprotective efficacy of SM.
authors.affiliation: Hebei Medical University, 361 East Zhongshan Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Yonggang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050200, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Hebei Medical University, 361 East Zhongshan Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Fengli
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Hebei Medical University, 361 East Zhongshan Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Zhonglin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050200, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050200, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050200, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Hebei Medical University, 361 East Zhongshan Road, Shijiazhuang 050017, Hebei, China; Department of Pharmacology, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050200, Hebei, China. Electronic address: chuli0614@126.com.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Calcium transient; L-type calcium current; Myocyte contractility; Patch clamp; SM; SM (PubChem CID: 105117); Verapamil hydrochloride (PubChem CID: 62969)