endothelin-1 and ferulic-acid

To investigate the effects and mechanisms of sodium ferutate (SF) in treating diabetic nephropathy (DN).. Eighty patients of diabetes mellitus type 2 with DN were randomly divided into two groups, 40 cases in each group. The routine group treated with conventional treatment including dietary therapy and hypodermic injection of insulin, and the SF group treated with intravenous dripping of SF 300 mg/d additionally besides the conventional therapy, the therapeutic course for both groups was 4 weeks. And 40 healthy volunteers were allocated in a group for normal control. Before and after therapy, levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), mean arterial pressure (MAP), urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER), serum collagen type IV (CIV) and endothelin (ET) were detected.. After 4 weeks of treatment, FBG and HbA1c reduced obviously in both groups with insignificant difference in comparison of them (P > 0.05). Before treatment, TG, TC, MAP, SCr, BUN, UAER, CIV and ET were markedly higher in DN patients than those in the health control (P < 0.05), these criteria decreased significantly in the SF group (P < 0.05) but insignificantly in the routine group (P > 0.05) after treatment, showing difference between the two groups (P < 0.05).. Sodium ferulate could ameliorate lipid metabolic disorder, reduce blood pressure, lower UAER and CIV level, and improve renal function in DN patients, the mechanism might be through decreasing ET production and inhibiting the combining of ET with its receptor.

Topics: Adult; Coumaric Acids; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diabetic Nephropathies; Drug Therapy, Combination; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Endothelin-1; Female; Humans; Insulin; Ligusticum; Male; Middle Aged; Phytotherapy

Danxiongfang (DF) is a new Chinese medicine formula used to treat atherosclerosis and vascular restenosis. The active ingredients in DF are danshensu (DSS), tanshinones (cryptotanshinone, CT) and ferulic acid (FA). The aim of present study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of DF and its active ingredients on cell proliferation and protection against hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced injury in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in vitro.. VSMC proliferation was assayed by cell counting and measurement of cell viability using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol -2yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and protein content was measured by the Bradford method. The nitric oxide (NO) level was detected by an assay kit. The endothelin-1 (ET-1) level was measured by ELISA. The protective effects of DF and its active ingredients on H(2)O(2)-induced cell injury was evaluated in terms of cell viability (MTT assay), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Hydroxyl free radicals generated by the Fenton reaction was detected with the spin-trapping technique on an electron spin resonance spectrometer.. The results suggest that DSS, CT, FA and DF inhibited VSMC proliferation by increasing the NO level and decreasing the ET-1 content. In rat VSMCs exposed to H(2)O(2), FA, DSS, CT and the six formulations of DF increased cell viability and SOD activity, and reduced the levels of MDA and hydroxyl free radicals. These effects of FA, DSS and CT occurred in a dose-dependent manner. Of the six formulas, DF 4 and DF 5 had the more significant activities. The effects of DF were much greater than those of the individual ingredients, even though the concentrations of these ingredients in the DF formulas were much lower than the doses of the individual ingredients used in each study, indicating markedly synergistic effects of DSS, CT and FA in DF on rat VSMCs.. these findings provide a pharmacological foundation for the clinical use of DF in the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis relevant to endothelial cell proliferation and damage.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Aorta; Cardiotonic Agents; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Coumaric Acids; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Synergism; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Endothelin-1; Hydrogen Peroxide; Hydroxyl Radical; Lactates; Male; Malondialdehyde; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle; Nitric Oxide; Phenanthrenes; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Superoxide Dismutase

To study the renal protective effect of sodium ferulate (SF) and its mechanism in rats with diabetic mellitus (DM).. DM rats induced by streptozotocin were treated with SF 110 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks. The ratio of kidney weight/body weight (KW/BW), serum triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), urinary protein/24 hrs, levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) in renal cortex in rats were measured, the pathological change of kidney were observed and the expression of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and collagen IV (C-IV) in kidney were examined using immunohistochemical assay. The data obtained were compared with those obtained from untreated DM rats and normal rats respectively.. Compared with the normal rats, in DM rats, Ccr, urinary protein/24 hrs, ET-1, expressions of TGF-beta 1 and C-IV were significantly increased in DM model rats (all P < 0.01), and significantly abnormal pathological change in kidney was found. While in the SF treated DM rats, the above-mentioned abnormal changes were all significantly improved.. SF has effect in protecting kidney of DM rats, the mechanism might be related with its actions of reducing ET-1 production in kidney and inhibiting the expressions of TGF-beta 1 and C-IV.

Topics: Animals; Collagen Type IV; Coumaric Acids; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetic Nephropathies; Endothelin-1; Kidney; Male; Protective Agents; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

To study the anti-asthmatic effect of sodium ferulate (SF) and its mechanism in guinea pig asthmatic model.. Guinea pigs were sensitized with ovalbumin as animal asthmatic model and treated with 3 different concentration of SF for 8 days. Levels of endothelin (ET) and nitric oxide (NO) in blood and lung tissue, and eosinophil (EOS) in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BLAF) was counted at the end of trial.. SF could significantly lower the ET content and increase the NO concentration in serum and lung tissue, reduce the number of EOS in blood and BLAF (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Stronger effect was showed in the high dose group.. Mechanism of anti-asthmatic action of SF might be to increase NO concentration, lower ET content, alleviate EOS infiltration.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Asthmatic Agents; Asthma; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Coumaric Acids; Endothelin-1; Eosinophils; Female; Guinea Pigs; Male; Nitric Oxide; Ovalbumin