The angiogenic effect of dracorhodin perchlorate on human umbilical vein endothelial cells and its potential mechanism of action

Abstract

Hyperglycemia is the key clinical feature of diabetes, and may induce refractory wound lesions and impaired angiogenesis. Dracorhodin perchlorate (Dra) is the major ingredient of dragon's blood and it has been used as a medicine to treat chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot, since ancient times in many cultures. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of Dra on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under high‑glucose (HG) stimulation and its potential mechanism. Dra was observed to increase the multiplication capacity of HUVECs both under low glucose (LG) and HG concentrations. Additionally, migration and tube formation in HUVECs was facilitated by Dra. The expression levels of Ras, mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK) and vascular endothelial growth factor, which are key components of the Ras/MAPK pathway, were upregulated following Dra treatment. The present study is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, of the effects of Dra on wound healing, and the association with the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway.

Dracohodin Perochlorate Stimulates Fibroblast Proliferation via EGFR Activation and Downstream ERK/CREB and PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathways In Vitro

“…Recent research has demonstrated that DP promotes vascular endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis to accelerate wound healing [20]. However, research on whether DP can promote fibroblast proliferation has not been reported.…”

Rapid identification of dragon blood samples from Daemonorops draco, Dracaena cinnabari and Dracaena cochinchinensis by MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry

“…Dracorhodin perchlorate is an artificial synthetic analogue of dracorhodin, which is widely used as a high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) standard and for investigating the biological activities of dracorhodin. Its in vitro angiogenic activity on HUVEC cells, in vivo angiogenic activity on zebrafish embryos, and wound healing activity on rats have been reported previously . Thin‐layer chromatography (TLC)‐ and HPLC‐based methods are well established to examine commercial dragon blood samples .…”

“…Its in vitro angiogenic activity on HUVEC cells, in vivo angiogenic activity on zebrafish embryos, and wound healing activity on rats have been reported previously. [7][8][9] Thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-and HPLC-based methods are well established to examine commercial dragon blood samples. 6,10 However, HPLC analysis is time-consuming and TLC-based methods are not ideal for routine examination of large amounts of commercial product samples.…”

Dracorhodin perchlorate inhibits osteoclastogenesis through repressing RANKL‐stimulated NFATc1 activity

“…D.P has multiple applications in medicine, for example, D.P is found to enhance cutaneous wound healing by promoting fibroblasts proliferation in rats . D.P also exerts strong angiogenic effects, which can be beneficial for wound healing . D.P is found to have an anti‐cancer function by inducing apoptosis in human cancer cells .…”

“…4,5 D.P also exerts strong angiogenic effects, which can be beneficial for wound healing. 6,7 D.P is found to have an anti-cancer function by inducing apoptosis in human cancer cells. [8][9][10][11][12] Reported in some other literatures, D.P has anti-microbial effects by reducing the production of α-toxin by Staphylococcus aureus 13 and inhibiting the formation of biofilm and virulence factors of Candida albicans.…”