Baicalein attenuates intimal hyperplasia after rat carotid balloon injury through arresting cell-cycle progression and inhibiting ERK, Akt, and NF-kappaB activity in vascular smooth-muscle cells.

Abstract

Baicalein (5,6,7-trioxyflavone-7-O-beta-D-glucuronide) derived from the Chinese herb Scutellaria baicalensis is well known as a lipoxygenase inhibitor. We investigated baicalein-mediated inhibitory effects on vascular smooth-muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and intimal hyperplasia by balloon angioplasty in the rat. In vascular injury studies, baicalein significantly suppressed intimal hyperplasia by balloon angioplasty. Baicalein significantly inhibited cell proliferation via a lipoxygenase-independent pathway using [(3)H]thymidine incorporation, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), and flow cytometry assays. At the concentrations used, no cytotoxic effect on cell culture was found. Baicalein blocks cell-cycle progression in S/G2/M phase, consistent with the cell-cycle effects, baicalein significant inhibited cyclin D1, p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and Akt phosphorylation without change in the other cell-cycle regulatory proteins. Furthermore, baicalein attenuated serum-induced deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) binding activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB). These results show that baicalein blocks cell proliferation via blocking cell-cycle progression and proliferating events, including p42/44 MAPK and Akt activations as well as NF-kappaB activation. It also inhibits intimal hyperplasia after balloon vascular injury in the rat, indicating the therapeutic potential for treating restenosis after arterial injury.

• Authors: Chieh-Yu Peng, Shiow-Lin Pan, Ying-Wen Huang, Jih-Hwa Guh, Ya-Ling Chang, Che-Ming Teng
• Journal: Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology (Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol) Vol. 378 Issue 6 Pg. 579-88 (Dec 2008) ISSN: 0028-1298 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 18663431 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cardiovascular Agents
• Flavanones
• NF-kappa B
• baicalein
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
• Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases

Topics

• Animals
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Cardiovascular Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Carotid Stenosis (drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• Catheterization
• Cell Cycle (drug effects)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Flavanones (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Hyperplasia
• Muscle, Smooth, Vascular (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• NF-kappa B (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Phosphorylation
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt (antagonists & inhibitors, metabolism)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Signal Transduction
• Tunica Intima (drug effects, pathology)