Puerarin accelerates re-endothelialization in a carotid arterial injury model: impact on vasodilator concentration and vascular cell functions.

Puerarin, a main isoflavone glucoside derived from the Chinese medicine Radix puerariae, has been employed clinically to prevent and treat various cardiovascular disorders. However, little research has been performed to identify the in vivo effects of puerarin on the re-endothelialization and neointimal hyperplasia of injured vessels, and its detailed mechanisms of action remain to be elucidated. In this study, Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with puerarin at the dosages of 0, 50, and 100 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1) i.p. after balloon carotid denudation for 2 weeks. The results showed that puerarin accelerated re-endothelialization after surgery, resulting in a significant reduction of neointima formation. Moreover, puerarin increased the serum levels of vasodilators, such as nitric oxide and prostaglandin I(2), in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro, puerarin exhibited protective effects on late endothelial progenitor cells and mature endothelial cells, and inhibitory effects on the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells. Taken together, these data indicate that puerarin accelerates re-endothelialization, inhibits neointima formation, and attenuates vascular remodeling at sites of arterial injury, possibly due to the cytoprotective effects on endothelial lineage and the suppression of vascular smooth muscle cell migration.