ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the protective effects of danshen (Salvia Miltiorrhiza) on vascular endothelial cells in hypertension patients in the gestation period.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The umbilical vein endothelial cells pre-incubated with Danshen solution at different concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 300 mg/L) were randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e., the blank control group (8 cases), the normal control group (14 cases, cultured in the serum from 14 normal pregnant women), and the observation group (14 cases, cultured in the serum from 14 pregnant women with severe pre-eclampsia). The levels of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in each culture supernatant were detected respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ET-1 level was higher in 300 mg/L Danshen solution group than in 0 mg/L and 100 mg/L Danshen solution groups (P <0.05). The NO level was lower in the observation group than in the blank control group and the normal control group (P <0. 05). The NO level was higher in 200 mg/L Danshen solution group than in 0 mg/L Danshen solution group (P <0.05). The NO level was higher in 300 mg/L Danshen solution group than in 0 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 200 mg/L Danshen solution groups (P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Danshen could increase the secretion of NO from in vitro umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured in the serum from patients with pre-eclampsia, and reduce the secretion of ET-1.</p>