Effect of huangqi, danggui and ligustrazine as medicines activating blood and eliminating stasis on the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 in HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cell strain

Changchun YANG; Ying HAN; Ansheng ZHANG; Yimin SI; Zhihong BAO

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 is the main regulator of the fibrinolytic system in vivo. The increase of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 is closely related to thrombotic disease and it is also an independent risk factor for development of thrombotic disease.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the effect of huangqi(Astragalus), danggui (Angelica) and ligustrazine as medicines activating blood and eliminating stasis on the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 in HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cell strain.

DESIGN:

A randomized controlled study.

SETTING:

First Cadre Department of General Hospital of Chinese People' s Armed Police Force.MATERIALS The experiment was completed in Academy of Military Medical Sciences of PLA from August to December 2004. HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cell strain was cultured. According to different drugs in culture medium, they were divided into six groups control group, huangqi group,danggui group, huangqi + danggui group, compound danshen group and ligustrazine group.

METHODS:

Huangqi, danggui, huangqi + danggui, compound danshen and ligustrazine were added in HepG2 culture medium respectively. MTS assay was used to detect the effect of medicines activating blood and eliminating stasis on proliferation of HepG2 cells, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 was assayed by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays(ELISA),plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 activity was measured by amidolytical assay. 0.5 μg/mL of transforming growth factor β1 cells was added in HepG2 culture medium to stimulated production of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1. Control group was treated under the same conditions but without Chinese herbs.

RESULTS:

The inhibitory rates of cellular proliferation in huangqi and danggui groups werc(6.51 ±2. 66)% and (4.42 ±2. 19)%, but those in huangqi + danggui, compound danshen and ligustrazine groups were (12. 06 ±4. 98)%, (16. 38 ±4.06)% and(32. 83 ±9.8)% respectively,t = 2. 447 - 3. 707, P ＜ 0.05. Compared with the control group, huangqi,danggui, compound danshen and ligustrazine significantly inhibited plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 expression(22.68 ± 2.20, 11.11 ± 1.23,19.66±1.53, 15.45±1.27, 16.90±0.33, 14.01±0.74, t=2.447-3.707, P ＜ 0.05) and activity(2.16±0.014, 2.01 ±0.006, 1.95±0.014, 1.79±0. 104, 1.53±0.045, 1.48±0.012, t =2.447-3. 707,P ＜ 0.05) in HepG2 cells. The evident inhibitory effects were observed in the group of huangqi + danggui, especially in compound danshen and ligustrazine.

CONCLUSION:

The plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 expression and activity were inhibited effectively by huangqi, danggui, compound danshen and ligustrazine.