Protective Effects and Potential Mechanism of Tongxinluo on Mice with Thromboangiitis Obliterans Induced by Sodium Laurate.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Tongxinluo (TXL) on thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Ninety male C57/BL6J mice were randomly divided into 6 groups according to a random number table: the sham group, TAO model group, Compound Danshen Tablet (CDT) group, and the high-, medium-, and low-dose TXL groups. All mice except the sham group were injected with sodium laurate (0.1 mL, 5 mg/mL) in the femoral artery to establish TAO mouse model. After modeling, mice in the sham and TAO model groups were intragastrically administered 0.5% (w/v) sodium carboxymethylcellulose, mice in the CDT group were intragastrically administered 0.52 g/kg CDT, and mice in the TXL-H, TXL-M, and TXL-L groups were intragastrically administered 1.5, 0.75, and 0.38 g/kg TXL, respectively. After 4 weeks of gavage, the recovery of blood flow in the lower limbs of mice was detected by Laser Doppler Imaging. The pathological changes and thrombosis of the femoral artery were observed by morphological examination. The expressions of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the femoral artery wall were detected by HE staining. Levels of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α (6-keto-PGF1α), endothelin-1 (ET-1), interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Levels of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT) and fibrinogen (FIB) were detected by a fully automated biochemical analyzer. RESULTS: TXL promoted the restoration of blood flow in the lower limbs, reduced the area of thrombosis in the femoral artery, and alleviated the pathological changes in the femoral artery wall. Moreover, the levels of TXB2, ET-1, IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α and iNOS were significantly lower in the TXL groups compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the level of 6-keto-PGF1α was significantly higher (P<0.01). In addition, APTT, PT, and TT were significantly prolonged in TXL groups compared with the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and FIB levels were significantly decreased compared with the model group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TXL had a protective effect on TAO mice, and the mechanism may involve inhibition of thrombosis and inflammatory responses. TXL may be a potential drug for the treatment of TAO.

Role of NO in reduction of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by ginsenoside Rb1 preconditioning in diabetic rats / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective To evaluate the role of by NO in reduction of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR)injury by ginsenoside Rb1 preconditioning in diabetic rats. Methods Forty healthy adult male SD rats weighing 220-280 g were used in this study. Diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal streptozotocin 65 mg/kg and confirmed by fasting blood glucose ＞ 16.7 mmol/L. The animals were randomly divided into 4 groups ( n = 10each): sham operation group (group S), group IR, ginsenoside Rb1 group (group R) and L-NAME + ginsenoside Rb1 group (group LR). IR was produced by occlusion of the anterior descending branch of left coronary artery (LAD) for 30 min followed by 120 min reperfusion in group IR, R and LR. In group S, LAD was exposed but not occluded. In group LR, L-NAME 10 mg/kg was injected iv 25 min before ischemia. In group R and LR, ginsenoside Rb1 40 mg/kg was injected iv 10 min before ischemia. In group S and IR, eaqual volume of normal saline was injected instead of ginsenoside Rb1. The blood sample was taken from carotid artery at 120 min of reperfusion for determination of serum activities of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Then the animals were sacrificed and myocadial tissues were obtained for determination of infarct size, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression, MDA and NO contents, SOD activity and microscopic examination. Results The serum activities of CK and LDH were significantly increased and the myocardial infarct size was enlarged in group IR, R and LR, and eNOS expression was significantly down-regulated, MDA content was increased, and SOD activity and NO content was significantly decreased in group IR and LR compared with group S ( P ＜ 0.05). The serum activities of CK and LDH, and MDA content were significantly decreased, the myocardial infarct size was reduced, the expression of eNOS was up-regulated and the activity of SOD was increased in group R compared with group IR and LR ( P ＜ 0.05). There was no significant difference in the indices mentioned above between group IR and LR ( P＞ 0.05). Conclusion Ginsenoside Rb1 preconditioning can attenuate myocardial IR injury in diabetic rats via activation of eNOS, increase in NO production, and inhibition of the lipid peroxidation reaction.