Effect of puerarin on hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha of pulmonary arterioles for rats with chronic hypoxia and hypercapnia-induced pulmonary hypertension

AIM:To investigate whether the hypotensive effect of puerarin on the pulmonary pressure of rats chronically exposed to hypoxia-hypercapnia was approached through inhibiting the expression of hypoxia-in- ducible factor-1 alpha(HIF-1α)in pulmonary arterioles.METHODS:Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups:normal control(NC)group,hypoxia-hypereapnia(HH)group and hypoxia- hypercapnia with puerarin(HP)group.The expressions of HIF-1αprotein and mRNA were detected and record- ed from pulmonary arterioles by the techniques of immunohistochemistry and nucleic acid in situ hybridization. RESULTS:Mean pulmonary arterial pressure(mPAP)and the weight ratio of right ventricle(RV)to left ventricle plus septum(LV+S)were much higher in HH group than those in NC group(P＜0.01),and lower in HP group than those in HH group(P＜0.01).The content of plasma NO was much lower in HH group than that in NC group(P＜0.01),and higher in HP group than that in HH group(P＜0.01).Expressions of HIF-1αprotein and HIF-1αmRNA in pulmonary arterioles were significantly higher in HH group than those in NC group(P＜0.01), and lower in HP group than those in HH group(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:The effect of puerarin on reducing the pulmonary pressure of rats chronically exposed to hypoxia-hypercapnia is probably related to the inhibition of the expression of HIF-1αin pulmonary arterioles.