THE EFFECT OF THE EFFECTIVE INGREDIENTS IN SALVIA MILTIORRHIZA ON VASCULAR INFLAMMATION AND REGULATION OF THE NF - ΚB P65 / ICAM-1 PATHWAY IN SHR RATS

Donghui Xia^{1, *}, Jing Zhang¹, Meng Cao² 

¹Department of Neurology, Affiliated XingTai People Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Xingtai, PR China - ²College of Biological Science and Engineering, Xingtai University, Xingtai, PR China

Objective: To investigate the effect of the active ingredients of Salvia miltiorrhiza on vascular inflammation and regulation of the nuclear transcription factor (NF-κ b) p65 / intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) pathway in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats. 

Methods: fourteen healthy male WKY rats were selected as the normal control group, and 42 male SHR rats were randomly divided into a SHR group, a compatibility group I and a compatibility group II, with 14 rats in each group. The rats in the normal control group and the SHR group were given 0.25ml of sterile water for injection once a day for three days. The rats in the compatibility group I were given 30mg · kg-1 Danshensu, 2.5mg · kg-1 salvianolic acid A, 16mg · kg-1 salvianolic acid B tail VI once a day for three days. The rats in the compatibility group II were given 30mg · kg-1 Danshensu, 10mg · kg-1 salvianolic acid A, 18mg · kg-1 salvianolic acid B tail VI. The drug was administered once a day for three consecutive days. The levels of ICAM-1 mRNA, protein expression and expression of NF-κ B p65 and NF-κ B inhibitor of NF-κ B α (I κ B-α) were compared. 

Results: at 4 weeks of age, there was no significant difference in blood pressure among the groups (P>0.05). At 9 weeks of age, blood pressure was significantly higher in the SHR group compared to the normal control group (P<0.05). The blood pressure of rats in the compatibility group I and II was significantly lower compared to the SHR group (P<0.05). The blood pressure of rats in the compatibility group II was significantly lower compared to the compatibility group I (P>0.05). The expression of ICAM-1 mRNA and protein was significantly higher in the SHR group than in the normal control group (P>0.05). The expression of ICAM-1 mRNA and protein was significantly lower in group I and group II than in the SHR group (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in ICAM-1 mRNA and protein expression between the two groups (P>0.05). The expression level of IκB - α protein was significantly lower in the SHR group compared to the normal control group, and the expression level of NF-κ B p65 protein was significantly higher than that in the normal control group. The expression levels of IκB-α and NF-κB p65 were significantly higher in rats in compatibility groups I and II than in the SHR group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). 

Conclusion: Salvia miltiorrhiza and its active ingredients can inhibit the inflammation of SHR blood vessels, producing anti-hypertensive effects. This effect may be mediated through the up-regulation of the expression level of I κ B - α protein and the reduction of the expression level of NF - κ B p65, which blocks the expression of ICAM-1 mRNA.