Impairment of Vascular Function of Rat Thoracic Aorta in an Endothelium-Dependent Manner by Shikonin/Alkannin and Derivatives Isolated from Roots of Macrotomia euchroma

Abstract

The effects of a naphthoquinone analogue, shikonin/alkannin (SA) and derivatives (acetylshikonin and β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin), on vascular reactivity were studied with isolated rat aortic rings. At lower concentrations, SA and its derivatives concentration-dependently inhibit the agonist-induced (acetylcholine and histamine) relaxation in PE precontracted aorta in an endothelium-dependent manner with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 μM. In addition to the effect on agonist-induced vasorelaxation, the Ca²⁺ ionophore A23187-induced vasorelaxation was also inhibited or reversed by SA. However, SA had no effect on sodium nitroprusside-induced (guanylate cyclase activator) vasorelaxation. These data suggested that SA and its derivatives might be acting as inhibitors of nitric oxide synthesis in endothelium. At a concentration greater than 10 μM, SA induced contraction of intact but not denuded aorta which could be inhibited by prior treatment with indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. In summary, the results from this study showed that SA and its derivatives inhibited agonist-induced relaxation at lower concentrations and induced vasocontraction at higher concentrations. All the effects seen with SA were endothelium-dependent, however, through different mechanisms.

Abbreviations

SA:shikonin/alkannin

PE:phenylephrine

Ach:acetylcholine

SNP:sodium nitroprusside

eNOS:endothelial nitric oxide synthase

L-NAME:Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester

Key words

Shikonin/alkannin - Naphthoquinone - nitric oxide synthase - Macrotomia euchroma - Boraginaceae

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