• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1652-1660
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• 2004

Apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) is essential in atherogenesis, being a factor that modulates its early progression rather than a terminal event in the course of the disease. Various stimuli, including oxide lipoproteins, altered hemodynamic stress and free radical, can induced VSMCs apoptosis in vitro. The protective effects of Sophorae Radix (SR) on apoptotic cell death induced by H₂O₂ were investigated in VSMCs. The viability of VSMCs was markedly decreased by H₂O₂. Sophorae Radix protected the H202-induced apoptotic death of VSMCs, which was characterized as nuclear fragmentation and increase of sub-G0/G1 fraction .. Sophorae Radix decreased the activation of caspase-3 like protease induced by H₂O₂ and recovered control level from H202-induced PARP, Bak, Bcl-XL and mitochondrial membrane potential. These results suggest that Sophorae Radix protected VSMCs apoptotic death induced by H₂O₂ via inactivation of caspase-3 and modulation of mitochondrial function. Also, the expression profile of proteins by using two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis was screened. Future investigations will need to explore the use of an anti atherosclerotic therapy of Sophorae Radix, which relies on inhibition of the proapoptotic activation of the vascular smooth muscle cells.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1309-1316
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• 2004

We previously reported that the ethtyl acetate(EA) soluble fraction of Sophorae Radix(SR) water extract had the preventive effects against cardiovascular anaphylaxis elicited in experimental animals. In this study, we tested the anti-anaphylatic effects of the nine kinds of EA soluble subfractions in animal models such as Langendorff heart and anesthetized rats. These results were obtained as followed ; Among nine kinds of SR EA soluble subfractions, N10-16-2 and N10-16-9 fractions have an effects improving cardiovascular anaphylaxis in guinea pig Langendorff hearts. In passively anesthetized rats, N10-16-2 and N1 0-16-9 fractions of SR EA soluble subfractions have an effects improving cardiovascular anaphylaxis. N10-16-2 and N1 0-16-9 fractions of SR EA soluble subfractions inhibited the decrease of histamine release induced by compound 48180 and A-23187 in rat peritoneal mast cells. These results suggest that N10-16-2 and N10-16-9 fractions of SR EA soluble subfractions involve anti-anaphylactic molecules in cardiovascular system.