Inhibitory effects of ligustilide and butylidenephthalide on bFGF-stimulated proliferation of rat smooth muscle cells / 药学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>AIM</b>To investigate the bio-affinities of ligustilide and butylidenephthalide to rat aortic smooth muscle cells and the inhibitory effects of them on bFGF-stimulated proliferation of rat vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>VSMCs were cultured from rat aorta pectoralis and identified by an immunohistochemical method. The bio-affinities between solute (ligustilide or butylidenephthalide) and cell membrane were measured by rat aortic cell membrane chromatography (CMC). The inhibitory effects of ligustilide and butylidenephthalide on bFGF-stimulated VSMC proliferation were evaluated by MIT colorimetric method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both ligustilide and butylidenephthalide had selective affinities to rat aortic smooth muscle cell as the same as verapamil, one of the calcium ion antagonists. They could potently inhibit the bFGF-stimulated VSMC proliferation at the concentrations of 5.5 and 11.1 micromol x L(-1), separately (P < 0.05), but had no effects on the normal VSMC growth.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both ligustilide and butylidenephthalide can inhibit the abnormal proliferation of VSMC induced by bFGF.</p>