Hypoxia-induced vasoconstriction and vascular remodelling are the main pathological features of hypoxic
pulmonary arterial hypertension (
HPAH), and
inflammation is participated in the occurrence of pulmonary vascular remodelling (PVR).
Matrine is an
alkaloid with the effects of anti-
inflammation, antifibrosis and antitumour. But, few studies have explored the role of
matrine in regulating PVR, and the related mechanisms are still unknown. In this study, we found that
hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) proliferation and inhibited its apoptosis, reduced the expression of
ribosomal protein s5 and activated the
nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signalling.
Matrine,
sildenafil and NF-κB inhibitor
Bay 11-7082 could reverse these changes and impel the cell cycle in phase S retardation, and reduced the expression of p50, p65,
proliferating cell nuclear antigen (
PCNA), Bcl-2. In addition,
matrine could lower right ventricular systolic pressure and mean pulmonary artery pressure of rats, α-smooth muscle actin and
PCNA expression in pulmonary artery media, the levels of
tumor necrosis factor-α and interleuki-1β, thus improved
hypoxia-induced PVR. This study indicated that
matrine could alleviate
inflammation and improve PVR through reversing the imbalance of proliferation and apoptosis of PASMCs, thus it had a
therapeutic effect on
HPAH.