Effect of aloe-emodin on c-myc gene expression of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells of injured artery]

OBJECTIVE: To study the molecular mechanism of aloe-emodin (AE) in inhibiting smooth muscle cells' (SMC) proliferation. METHODS: Deendothelialization was performed in abdominal aorta of Japanese white ear rabbits by using 3F Fogarty arterial embolectomy catheter. The media of abdominal aorta was isolated 48 hrs later for performing primary SMC culture. Cells were synchronized with G0/G1 phase by serum starvation, the AE was then added to the culture medium of experimental group, at a concentration of 20 micrograms/ml, and to the control group, equal volume of culture solution was added instead. The c-myc mRNA and protein expressions were examined 3 hrs later by using techniques of Northern blotting, Western blotting and immunocytochemistry respectively. RESULTS: In comparing with the control group, neither the expression of c-myc mRNA nor the expression of c-myc protein was changed after addition of AE. CONCLUSION: The inhibition of AE on SMC might not be due to influencing c-myc expression, but via other pathway.