Inhibition of Proliferation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells by Cucurbitanes from Momordica charantia

Abstract

The cucurbitaceous plant Momordica charantia L., named "bitter melon", inhabits Asia, Africa, and South America and has been used as a traditional medicine. The atypical proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays an important role in triggering the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is regarded as the most powerful growth factor in promoting the intimal accumulation of VSMCs. The current study features the identification of six new cucurbitane-type triterpenoids (1-6) from the fruits of M. charantia, utilizing diverse chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. In particular, the 2D structure of 1 was confirmed utilizing the long-range HSQMBC NMR pulse, capable of measuring heteronuclear long-range correlations (J). The cucurbitanes were also assessed for their inhibitory activity against PDGF-induced VSMC proliferation. This current study may constitute a basis for developing those chemotypes into sensible pharmacophores alleviating cardiovascular disorders.

Nucleolin promotes Ang�II‑induced phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells via interaction with tropoelastin mRNA

“…Great efforts have been made to inhibit the phenotypic transformation of VSMCs, providing an important experimental and theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Measures to potentially prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases that have been investigated include the following: Gene transfection, RNA interference, blockade of transcription factors at the nuclear transcription level, certain drugs inhibiting the phenotypic transformation of VSMCs, and replacement, repair or enhancement of vascular endothelial function in damaged tissues or organs by stem cell transplantation (3,21-24). Although great progress has been made to uncover the underlying mechanism of VSMC phenotypic transformation, the specific mechanisms has not been fully elucidated.…”

Momordica Charantia L. Variety from Northeastern Brazil: Analysis of Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Components

“…57 Figure 4, as previously reported in M. charantia. [59][60][61][62][63]67 Epoxy isomers showed an additional oxygen (16 Da) and same fragmentation pattern. The Figure 5 depicts the MS fragmentation to 5β,19-epoxycurcubita-6,22(E),24-triene-3β,19-diol 59,61 , and 3-[(5-formyl-7β,25dihydroxymethoxycucurbita-5,23-dien-3-yl)oxy]-3-oxopropanoic acid 62 , Figure 6.…”

“…[59][60][61][62][63]67 Epoxy isomers showed an additional oxygen (16 Da) and same fragmentation pattern. The Figure 5 depicts the MS fragmentation to 5β,19-epoxycurcubita-6,22(E),24-triene-3β,19-diol 59,61 , and 3-[(5-formyl-7β,25dihydroxymethoxycucurbita-5,23-dien-3-yl)oxy]-3-oxopropanoic acid 62 , Figure 6. We present the ethnomedicinal uses reported from the northeastern region of Brazil (Table 3) and then made a summary of phytochemicals reportedly identified or isolated from M. charantia and verified in this present local variety, with the view of presenting plausible role for these metabolites in the potential therapeutic effects of this plant.…”

Reactive Oxygen Species from NADPH Oxidase and Mitochondria Participate in the Proliferation of Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells from a Model of Metabolic Syndrome

“…This study was undertaken to investigate the role of endogenous ROS in the contractile and proliferative phenotype of SMCs isolated from SF model, since it is reported that a high-sucrose diet increases the generation of ROS in different tissues including vascular tissue [24, 30]. The proliferation and migration of SMCs is a physiological process in response to pathological conditions such as metabolic syndrome associated with hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes [31]. All these pathological alterations are characterized by oxidative stress due to the enhanced steady-state concentration of ROS.…”