Sappanchalcone, a biologically active compound isolated from Caesalpinia sappan L., is reported to exert a variety of biological activities, such as neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory actions and inhibitory effect on antigen-induced beta hexosaminidase release. However, the vascular protective effects of this compound are not fully understood. The present study examined the effects of sappanchalcone in suppressing cell adhesion molecules expression in high glucose stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Sappanchalcone significantly decreased 25 mM high glucose-induced vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in a dose-dependent manner. Sappanchalcone also significantly inhibited the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, we found that the vascular protective effects of sappanchalcone were linked to the up-regulation of heme oxygenase-1 expression in HUVEC. The effects of sappanchalcone on the high glucose-induced expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 were partially reversed by treatment of the cells with an inhibitor of HO-1, tin protoporphyrin IX (SnPP). Based on these results, these findings suggest that sappanchalcone-induced HO-1 expression plays a key role in the vascular protective effects of sappanchalcone in HUVEC.

본 논문의 연구목적은 Choroidal neovascularization (맥락막 신생혈관) 모텔에서 HO-1 발현제와 억제재의 영향을 알아보고자 한다. 30마리의 Brown Norway rat을 각각 10마리씩 세 그룹， Hemin treated group, SnPP treated group, Contorl group으 로 나누어서 실험을 진행하였다. Hemin treat group은 10μmol/kg hemin(Frontier Scientific Inc. USA) 을 SnPP treat group은 10 μmol/kg SnPP(Frontier Scientific Inc. USA)을 laser 시술 2 일에서 14 일까지 복강내 주사하였고 Control군은 0.5 mß씩 식 염 수를 주사하였다. 14 일 후 안저사진촬영과 형광안저촬영을 실시하였다. SnPP treated group에서 Hemin treated group보다 더 많은 선생혈관이 생성되었다. Hemin treated group에서는 맥락막 신생혈관 형성의 정도가 정상대조군에 비교하여 저하됨을 알 수 있었다. 본 연구의 결과 HO-1 의 inducer 인 Hemin 이 맥락막의 신생혈관 억제에 영향을 미치는 것으로 보여진다.