Tongxinluo decreases apoptosis of mesenchymal stem cells concentration-dependently under hypoxia and serum deprivation conditions through the AMPK/eNOS pathway.

Tongxinluo (TXL), a traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China. Our previous study has demonstrated the pro-survival role of TXL on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vivo. But whether TXL could decrease apoptosis of MSCs in vitro, and the underlying mechanism are still unknown. Moreover, AMPK/eNOS pathway is crucial in regulating cell apoptosis. Therefore, we designed the study to investigate whether TXL could decrease MSCs apoptosis under hypoxia and serum deprivation (H/SD) conditions and to determine the role of AMPK/eNOS pathway. To test the hypothesis, MSCs were treated with TXL (50-400 µg/mL) under H/SD for 6 hours. For inhibitor studies, the cells were preincubated with AMPK inhibitor compound C. Results indicated that TXL decreased MSCs apoptosis concentration-dependently evidenced by reduced Annexin V+/PI- cells and increased red/green ratio of JC-1. Further, TXL enhanced the phosphorylation of AMPK and eNOS. Whereas, treatment with compound C decreased the phosphorylation of AMPK and eNOS and was accompanied by attenuated anti-apoptotic effect of TXL. In conclusion, TXL protected MSCs against H/SD-induced injury at least in part through the AMPK/eNOS pathway, which provides a novel explanation for the multi-effect of TXL on cardiovascular system.

Gomisin N in the herbal drug gomishi (Schisandra chinensis) suppresses inducible nitric oxide synthase gene via C/EBPß and NF-κB in rat hepatocytes.

Gomishi is the dried fruit of Schisandra chinensis Baillon (Fructus Schisandrae chinensis, FSC) and has been used in Japanese Kampo medicine to treat inflammatory and liver diseases. However, it is unclear which constituent of FSC is primarily responsible for its pharmacological effects. FSC was extracted with methanol, fractionated by hydrophobicity, and further purified. We measured the effects of each fraction or constituent thereof on the induction of the inflammatory mediator nitric oxide (NO), which was induced by interleukin 1ß in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. The hydrophobic fraction markedly suppressed NO induction and reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide syntheses (iNOS) in interleukin 1ß-treated hepatocytes. Gomisin N and γ-schizandrin, two major constituents of the hydrophobic fraction, significantly reduced NO production and the levels of the iNOS protein, mRNA, and antisense transcript. Gomisin N and γ-schizandrin also decreased the transcription of interleukin 1ß and inflammatory chemokines. The overexpression of the p65 subunit of nuclear factor κB or CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein ß increased the promoter activity of the iNOS gene in the firefly luciferase assay, whereas gomisin N decreased the promoter activity. The anti-inflammatory activity of FSC and its constituents were analysed, and we demonstrated that gomisin N and γ-schizandrin are involved in the hepatoprotective effect of the FSC extract, which has therapeutic potential for liver disease.

Resveratrol in cardiovascular disease: what is known from current research?

Resveratrol is a well-known antioxidant that exists in grape skin/seed, red wine, and the root of Polygonum cuspidatum, a traditional Chinese and Japanese medicinal material. Studies have found that resveratrol has many interesting properties, including anti-carcinogenic properties, anti-microbial and antiviral effects, the ability to reverse dyslipidemia and obesity, the ability to attenuate hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, and the ability to protect endothelial function. Heart failure is the final consequence of the majority of cardiovascular diseases, and resveratrol has been shown to directly attenuate heart contraction. The cardiovascular protective capacities of resveratrol are associated with multiple molecular targets and may lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis, ischemia/reperfusion, metabolic syndrome, and heart failure. This article will mainly review recently published basic researches about the protective cardiovascular effects of resveratrol because these results may lead to the development of new clinical therapeutics in patients.

Tongxinluo reduces myocardial no-reflow and ischemia-reperfusion injury by stimulating the phosphorylation of eNOS via the PKA pathway.

The objective of the present study was to investigate whether pretreatment with single low loading dose of tongxinluo (TXL), a traditional Chinese medicine, 1 h before myocardial ischemia could attenuate no-reflow and ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) via the PKA pathway. In a 90-min ischemia and 3-h reperfusion model, minipigs were randomly assigned to the following groups: sham, control, TXL (0.05 g/kg, gavaged 1 h before ischemia), TXL + H-89 (a PKA inhibitor, intravenously infused at a dose of 1.0 µg·kg(-1)·min(-1) 30 min before ischemia), and TXL + N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA; an eNOS inhibitor, intravenously administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg 30 min before ischemia). TXL decreased creatine kinase (CK) activity (P < 0.05) and reduced the no-reflow area from 48.6% to 9.5% and infarct size from 78.5% to 59.2% (P < 0.05), whereas these effects of TXL were partially abolished by H-89 and completely reversed by L-NNA. TXL elevated PKA activity and the expression of PKA, Thr(198) phosphorylated PKA, Ser(1179) phosphorylated eNOS, and Ser(635) phosphorylated eNOS in the ischemic myocardium. H-89 repressed the TXL-induced enhancement of PKA activity and phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser(635), and L-NNA counteracted the phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser(1179) and Ser(635) without an apparent influence on PKA activity. In conclusion, pretreatment with a single low loading dose of TXL 1 h before ischemia reduces myocardial no-reflow and ischemia-reperfusion injury by upregulating the phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser(1179) and Ser(635), and this effect is partially mediated by the PKA pathway.

Pretreatment with Tongxinluo protects porcine myocardium from ischaemia/reperfusion injury through a nitric oxide related mechanism.

BACKGROUND: The traditional Chinese medicine Tongxinluo can protect myocardium against ischaemia/reperfusion injury, but the mechanism of its action is not well documented. We examined the involvement of nitric oxide in the protective role of Tongxinluo. METHODS: Miniswine were randomized to four groups of seven: sham, control, Tongxinluo and Tongxinluo coadministration with a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 10 mg/kg i.v.). Three hours after administration of Tongxinluo, the animals were anaesthetised and the left anterior descending coronary artery ligated and maintained in situ for 90 minutes followed by 3 hours of reperfusion before death. Area of no reflow and necrosis and risk region were determined pathologically by planimetry. The degree of neutrophil accumulation in myocardium was obtained by measuring myeloperoxidase activity and histological analysis. Myocardial endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity and vascular endothelial cadherin content were measured by colorimetric method and immunoblotting analysis respectively. RESULTS: Tongxinluo significantly increased the local blood flow and limited the infarct and size of no reflow. Tongxinluo also attenuated myeloperoxidase activity and neutrophil accumulation in histological sections and maintained the level of vascular endothelial cadherin and endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity in the reflow region when compared with control group. The protection of Tongxinluo was counteracted by coadministration with L-NNA. CONCLUSIONS: Tongxinluo may limit myocardial ischaemia and protect the heart against reperfusion injury. Tongxinluo regulates synthesis of nitric oxide by altering activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase.

Effects of Tongxinluo-facilitated cellular cardiomyoplasty with autologous bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells on postinfarct swine hearts.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of ischemic heart disease remains an important challenge, though there have been enormous progresses in cardiovascular therapeutics. This study was conducted to evaluate whether Tongxinluo (TXL) treatment around the transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can improve survival and subsequent activities of implanted cells in swine hearts with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and reperfusion. METHODS: Twenty-eight Chinese mini-pigs were divided into four groups including a control group (n = 7); group 2, administration of low-dose TXL alone from the 3rd day prior to AMI to the 4th day post transplantation (n = 7); group 3, MSCs alone (n = 7) and group 4, TXL + MSCs (n = 7). AMI models were made by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 90 minutes. Autologous bone marrow-MSCs (3 x 10(7) cells/animal) were then injected into the post-infarct myocardium immediately after AMI and reperfusion. The survival and differentiation of implanted cells in vivo were detected by immunofluorescent analysis. The data of cardiac function were obtained at baseline (1 week after transplantation) and endpoint (6 weeks after transplantation) by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay and the oxidative stress level was investigated in the post-infarct myocardium at endpoint. RESULTS: At endpoint, there was less fibrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration with more surviving myocardium in group 4 than in the control group. In group 4 the survival and differentiation of implanted MSCs were significantly improved more than that seen in group 3 alone (P < 0.0001); the capillary density was also significantly greater than in the control group, group 2 or 3 both in the infarcted zone (P < 0.0001) and the peri-infarct zone (P < 0.0001). MRI showed that parameters at baseline were not significantly different between the 4 groups. At endpoint, regional wall thickening and the left ventricular ejection fraction were increased while the left ventricular mass index, dyskinetic segments and infarcted size were decreased only in group 4 compared with control group (P < 0.0001). SPECT showed that the area of perfusion defect was significantly decreased at endpoint only in group 4 compared with control group (P < 0.0001). TUNEL assay indicated that TXL administration significantly decreased cell apoptosis in peri-infarct myocardium in groups 2 and 4. Furthermore, superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly increased and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased in groups 2 and 4 by the administration of TXL. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the following: (1) immediate intramyocardial injection of MSCs after AMI and reperfusion resulted in limited survival and differentiation potential of implanted cells in vivo, thus being incapable of beneficially affecting post-hearts; (2) TXL-facilitation resulted in a significant survival and differentiation potential of implanted cells in vivo via inhibition of apoptosis and oxidative stress, accompanied by significant benefits in cardiac function.