Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Aconitum carmichaeli Debx (ACD) is the tuberous root of Aconium carmicgaekum, used as cardiotonic to restore yang for the treatment of collapse and shock, to warm the kidney and reinforce yang, and to expel cold and promote the flow of yang-qi. Studies have found that ACD has obviously cardiotonic, antihypertensive, vasodilatory, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and toxic effects.

OBJESTIVE: To observe the vasodilatory effects of a water decoction of ACD on rabbit’s aorta rings and its mechanism.

METHODS: Rabbits aorta arteries were isolated, pre-contracted with noradrenaline (10-6 mol/L) and their responses to different concentrations of ACD (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 g/L) were investigated. The effects of removal of vascular endothelium and different signaling pathway inhibitors (Nω-nitro-L-arginine: 1×10-4 mol/L, methylene blue: 1×10-5 mol/L, indomethacin: 1×10-5 mol/L, propranolol: 1×10-5 mol/L) on ACD-induced vasodilation were also assessed.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: ACD could not change the resting tension of rabbit aortic rings, but ACD treatment resulted in an obvious relaxation in narodrenaline-precontracted aortic rings and the relaxant effect was dose-dependent. The vasodilatory effect of ACD was significantly reduced by removal of endothelium, 1×10-4 mol/L Nω-nitro-L-arginine and 1×10-5 mol/L methylene blue but not reduced by indomethacin and propranolol. In addition, 4 g/L water decoction of ACD did not decrease the dose-response curves of artery rings to narodrenaline or KCl in the absence of endothelial cells. ACD can relax isolated rabbit’s aorta, which may be related to endothelium-released nitric oxide, but has no significant relevance with receptor-operated and voltage-dependent calcium channels.

中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：组织构建；骨细胞；软骨细胞；细胞培养；成纤维细胞；血管内皮细胞；骨质疏松；组织工程

Key words: Aconitum, Aorta, Endothelial Cells, Vasodilatio