Antithrombotic effect of verussurinine from Veratrum nigrum var. ussuriense alkaloids

Objective To study the effects of verussurinine (VSRN), an alkaloid isolated from Veratrum nigrum var. ussuriense alkaloids (VnA), against thrombosis and its platelet aggregation inhibitory activity in rats in order to find out whether VSRN is the antithrombotic active ingredient of VnA. Methods The electrically induced rat carotid artery thrombosis and stasis-induced rat inferior vena cava thrombosis models were used to evaluate the anti-arterial and anti-venous thrombosis effect of VSRN, respectively. Borns turbidimetric method was used to examine the in vivo and in vitro anti-platelet effect so as to investigate the antiplatelet aggregation of VSRN. Results In comparison with saline, VSRN in five different doses (1.25—20.00 μg/kg) showed significantly and dose-dependently prolonged occlusion time (OT) of carotid artery injured by electrical stimulation and reduced thrombus dry weight of inferior vena cava ligated for 4 h to cause stasis. Platelet aggregation was found to be inhibited by VSRN in the doses of 1.25—5.00 μg/kg and at the concentration of 6.25—50 μg/L in both in vivo and in vitro test. Conclusion VSRN has powerful arteriovenous antithrombosis and antiplatelet aggregation of rats. The antithrombotic effect of VSRN is related to its platelet aggregation inhibitory activity. The above findings indicate that VSRN is an antithrombotic active ingredient of VnA.