Objective: To evaluate the protective effects of serum containing Dangua Fang on vascular endothelium damaged by oxidative stress.
Methods: Five experiments were completed in this paper. In the first experiment, we found the most suitable serum containing Dangua Fang by comparing groups with different serum containing Dangua Fang. In the second experiments we analyzed Dangua Fang influencing endothelial cell viability and apoptosis and cell cycle. The third experiment on Dangua Fang intervention of mitochondrial respiratory chain. The fourth experiment on Dangua Fang intervention of mitochondrial membrane potential. And finally, on the fifth experiment we researched the mechanism of Dangua Fang improving mitochondrial function by comparing the Na-k-ATPase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1α) in the Dangua group with the diazoxide group and Co Q+Vit C group.
Results: We compared the control group in the first experiments and the OD values in DZ1 group was the most significant in all intervening groups. The recipe of DZ1 (5% serum containing Dangua Fang) was used in the following experiments. Compared with the control group, cell viability, cell cycle (G2 + S), cytochrome c oxidase (COX), R3 red/green, R2 red/green, R1 red/ green decreased and apoptosis, succinate dehy-drogenase (SDH), green (R2 + R3), Na-k-ATPase, PGC-1α increased in the model group. Compared with the model group, cell viability, G2+S, COX, R3 red/green, R2 red/green, R1 red/green raised and apoptosis, green (R2 + R3), Na-K-ATPase decreased in the Dangua group; G2 + S, R3 red/green, R2 red/green, R1 red/green raised and green (R2 + R3) decreased in the Co Q + Vit C group. Na-K-ATPase increased in the combined group ( 0.05 or < 0.01).
Conclusions: Dangua Fang protects oxidative stress-induced endothelial cells damaged by promotion of mitochondrial biogenesis, reduction of Na-K-ATPase activity and regulation of mitochondrial respiratory chain function restoring mitochondrial membrane potential.
Keywords: Dangua Fang; endothelial cells; mitochondria; oxidative stress; peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha.