Effective dose of the combination of salvianolic acids and tanshinones against inflammatory injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells injured by thrombin.

Objective: To investigate the pharmacological effective doses of Chinese Danshen components, (salvianolic acids and tanshinones) combinations on vascular endothelia cells against inflammatory injury.

Methods: Thrombin (50 U/mL) was incubated in human umbilical vein endothelia cells (HUVECs) with 50 and 100 μg/L (1:0, 0:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1, and 1:2) salvianolic acids and tanshinones or without the components of Danshen extract. Cell viability was confirmed in (4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay and cell death was confirmed in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released into the cell culture supernatant.

Results: Six hours treatment of HUVECs with 50 or 100 μg/L salvianolic acids and tanshinones combinations at ratios 1:0, 0:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1, and 1:2 significantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01) improved cell proliferation in vitro compared with model group when assayed in MTT, whereas 100 μg/L groups displayed trend toward upshift in potency compared with 50 μg/L groups (2:1, 1:1, and 1:2), respectively, in addition to inhibition of cell death confirmed in reduced LDH released into the culture medium.

Conclusions: These findings provided some useful information for safe and effective use of Danshen preparations in clinical practice. We made observations regarding the protective effect of Danshen components combinations in vascular endothelial against inflammatory injury caused by thrombin activation of endothelial cell.