Effect of Brazilein on Relaxation of Vascular Smooth Muscle of Rat / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

ABSTRACT

Brazilein is one of the active ingredients of a Chinese medicine Caesalpinia sappan L. This study was aimed to test the vasodilator effect of brazilein on vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro from the perspective of molecular biology. The results showed that brazilein mainly acted through the influence of potassium ion channels, reducing membrane depolarization in order to affect the vessel relaxation. This effect can be influenced by blocking 5-HT receptor, and, simultaneously, correlating with the regulation of intracellular calcium ion concentration, affecting calmodulin and downregulating MLCP. In addition, the alterations of cAMP, PKA and PGI2 were involved in the pharmacological process of brazilein.