Effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts on rat hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, heme oxygenase-1 and nitric oxide synthase / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) extracts on the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in small pulmonary arteries (SPAs) of rats with chronic hypoxia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>After two weeks of hypoxia, rats were treated with diltiazem, and small, median, and large doses of SM extracts. The lungs were tested for the expression and distribution of HO-1, endothelial NOS (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) by using immunohistochemistry and Western blot method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Median and large doses of SM extracts significantly reduced hypoxia-induced media thickening in the SPAs (similar with diltiazem), recovered repaired ultrastructure injury, decreased HO-1 and iNOS levels, and increased eNOS expression in the SPAs.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Median and large doses of SM extracts play significant roles in inhibiting structural remodeling in rats with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. These effects might attribute to the suppression of HO-1 and iNOS, and the promotion of eNOS expression under the conditions of hypoxia.</p>