Tsantan Sumtang Alleviates Chronic Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension by Inhibiting Proliferation of Pulmonary Vascular Cells

Figure 5

Effects of Tsantan Sumtang on PCNA and -SMA protein expression in lung tissue of HPH rats (n=5). Ctr: control group; Hyp: untreated hypoxia group (rats exposed to hypoxia in hypobaric chamber, equal to the parameter in altitude 4500 m), and Hyp+SW-treated groups (rats exposed to hypoxia in hypobaric chamber and received increasing doses of Tsantan Sumtang treatment, 1.0 g/kg, 1.25 g/kg, and 1.5 g/kg). Upper panel: relative expression levels of PCNA (a) and α-SMA (b) protein (optical density of PCNA and α-SMA normalized against β-actin expression). Lower panel: β-actin protein expression was used as control. (a) PCNA expression was significantly higher in Hyp group and Tsantan Sumtang treatment of 1.5 g/kg significantly reduced protein expression of PCNA in HPH rats, even below the control rats (^ΔP< 0.05 compared to Hyp; < 0.05 compared to Ctr); (b) α-SMA expression was higher in Hyp group and Tsantan Sumtang treatment of 1.25 g/kg and 1.5 g/kg significantly downregulated protein expression of α-SMA in HPH rats but still higher than the control rats (^ΔP< 0.05 compared to Hyp; < 0.05 compared to Ctr).

(a)

(b)