title: Amelioration of acute myocardial infarction by saponins from flower buds of Panax notoginseng via pro-angiogenesis and anti-apoptosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The root of Panax notoginseng is traditionally used as an anti-hemorrhagic agent to promote blood circulation without causing "congealed" blood. Furthermore, the flower of P. notoginseng is a popular, traditional medicine taken daily for the preventing of hypertension and for reducing blood cholesterol profiles. Besides, the flower of P. notoginseng contains a higher level of saponins, particularly protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides, as compared to the root. However, detailed pharmacological studies on this flower have rarely been conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, the saponins extracted from the flower of P. notoginseng (FS) were examined on the endothelial cell migration assay, chemically induced vascular insufficiency model in zebrafish larvae and myocardial infraction (MI) model in rats, for determination of their pro-angiogenic and therapeutic effects on MI treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results demonstrate that FS significantly promoted VEGF-induced migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and partially restored defective intersegmental vessels (ISV) in a chemically induced vascular insufficiency model of zebrafish larvae. When compared to MI group, two weeks post-treatment of FS (25-50mg/kg/day) induced approximately 3-fold upregulation of VEGF mRNA expression and a concomitant increase in blood vessel density in the peri-infarct area of the heart. Moreover, TUNEL analysis indicates a reduction in the mean apoptotic nuclei per field in peri-infarct myocardium upon FS treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pro-angiogenic effects of FS demonstrated in in vitro and in vivo experimental models suggest that the purified saponin preparation from flowers of P. notoginseng may potentially provide preventive and therapeutic agent for cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
authors.forename: Bin-Rui
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Kwok-Kuen
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Longhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Longhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Rui-Fang
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Longhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Pei-Pei
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Longhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China; Longhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Yan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Longhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Jing Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
authors.forename: Pui Man
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Hoi
authors.affiliation: Longhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China. Electronic address: doctorwyh@163.com.
authors.forename: You-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China. Electronic address: simonlee@umac.mo.
authors.forename: Simon Ming-Yuen
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry*; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D053723:Panax notoginseng / Q000737:chemistry*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D015027:Zebrafish
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D036145:Ginsenosides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012503:Saponins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: Angiogenesis; Apoptosis; Myocardial infarction; Panax notoginseng flower; Saponin