ABSTRACT
Conventional revascularization strategies for ischemic heart disease (IHD) are designed to prompt reperfusion of the coronary artery to the salvaged cardiomyocytes. However, these strategies may cause myocardial reperfusion injuries. Therefore, a safe and effective strategy needs to be developed to improve the conventional strategies. Here, we investigated the pro-angiogenic effect of Ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1) to provide the experimental basis for angiogenesis-mediated drug therapy of IHD. Thus, Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with either a vehicle or Rb1 at 4, 8, 12 or 16 ?M for 24 h. A model of hindlimb ischemia was established using C57BL/6J mice. In sham-operated mice, only the femoral artery was isolated without ligation whereas the other operations and supplementation control group were consistent. The mice in the supplementation group were injected with Rb1 (50 mg/kg body wt./day) for 7 days. The results indicated that Rb1 promotes cell proliferation, adhesion, migration and tube formation in the HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. The ED50 of Rb1 to improve cell adhesion is 8 ?M. In mice, Rb1 promoted angiogenesis after the ligation of the femoral artery and ameliorated the ischemic conditions. Intriguingly, more blood flow recovery was observed in the Rb1 supplemented mice than in the vehicle-treated mice (0.85 ± 0.05 vs. 0.71±0.10 on day 3; 0.94±0.10 vs. 0.75±0.08 on day 7). In HUVECs, Rb1 increased the phosphorylation of STAT3 and JAK, which may be the mechanism through which Rb1 mitigates IHD. Moreover, our results confirmed that Rb1mitigates IHD potentially by activating the JAK-STAT3 pathway. Further clinical trials are warranted to verify the clinical implications of Rb1.
ABSTRACT
The rapid spread of COVID-19, which was first reported in Wuhan, China, gave unprecedented impacts to the peoplearound the globe. Since no current established treatments nor medications are available, medical professionals are longing for the effective tools to fight against COVID-19. The true value of Chinese herbal medicine can be seen under such tough circumstances. The effects of Sanyao Sanfang, containing various naturally occurring phytochemicals were reported from the epicenter of COVID-19 in China. The distinctive feature of the Sanyao Sanfang is its ability to strengthen vitality of the body and improved resistance against invasive attacks by viruses and microbes. It also promotes activation of the immune system and its recovery to healthy status. It is obvious that the comprehensive effects of the Sanyao Sanfang do not stem from a single substance. Further studies are warranted for clarification of the mechanism and the role of other raw materials, as well as for the improvement of its formulation, efficacy and safety.