Effects of isoliensinine on angiotensin II-induced proliferation of porcine coronary arterial smooth muscle cells

The inhibitory effects of isoliensinine (IL), a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid extracted from the seed embryo of the traditional chinese medicinal herb Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn , on the proliferation of porcine coronary arterial smooth muscle cells (CASMCs) induced by angiotensin II(Ang II) and its mechanisms of action were investigated. Counting cultured cell number, MTT assay, immunohistochemical method and Western blot were adopted. Ang II 0.1 μmol l − 1 significantly evoked CASMC proliferation by 42%, which could be dose-dependently inhibited by IL 0.01–3 μmol l − 1 and the percentage of inhibition of IL 0.1 μmol l − 1 was 25%. Irbesartan (Irb) 0.1 μmol l − 1 inhibited CASMC proliferation by 22%. IL or Irb 0.1 μmol l − 1 decreased Ang II-induced overexpression of Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)- and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), respectively. Both of them also declined c- fos , c- myc and hsp70 overexpression, respectively. At the same concentration, the inhibitory effects of IL on PDGF- were even stronger than those of Irb ( P