Experimental study of Salvia Miltiorrhiza on the prevention of restenosis after angioplasty

Objective: To evaluate the possibility of Salvia Miltiorrhiza (SM) on the prevention of restenosis, the authors investigated the effects of SM on the intimal thickening of air-injured carotid artery of rats, and examined the effects of SM on the proliferation of rabbit aortic median smooth muscle cells (SMC) cultivated in vitro.Methods: Artery injury model of 17 rats about 4 months old was established by Fishman air-dry method. Fourteen days after operation, the maximal artery intimal and medial thickness of the control and SM group were measured on the image analysis system. Using cell counting and thymidine (3H-TdR) up-take method, the authors also examined the effects of SM on the proliferation of aortic median SMC from 4 rabbits.Results: SM inhibited the proliferation and3H-TdR up-take of SMC in a dose-dependent manner in vitro (P < 0.05 or 0.01 vs. control). It also inhibited the intimal thickening of rat arteries after deendothelialization. The maximal intimal thickness of the SM group was much thinner than that of the control (15.22 ± 2.19 μm vs. 80.17 ± 23.49 μm,P < 0.01).Conclusions: The study raises the possibility that SM can be used to prevent clinical restenosis.