Improving effect of post-treatment with Panax notoginseng saponins on lipopolysaccharide-induced microcirculatory disturbance in rat mesentery

Panax notoginseng saponin (PNS) is the collective of the major effective components of Panax notoginseng. The present study intended to explore the effect of post-treatment of PNS on rat mesentery microcirculatory disturbance induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) continuous challenge. By virtue of a microcirculation observation system, the vascular hemodynamics were determined continuously until 60 min of LPS (2 mg/kg/h) infusion through the left femoral vein. After observation, blood was taken for assessment of the expression of CD11b/CD18 in neutrophils and the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) in plasma with flow-cytometry. The number of leukocytes adherent to venular wall, the intensity of hydrogen peroxide dependent dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR) fluorescence in the venular walls and albumin leakage from venules were increased impressively after 20 min of LPS infusion, the RBCs velocity diminished after 30 min, and degranulated mast cells increased remarkably after 60 min. Post-treatment with PNS (5 mg/kg/h) through the left jugular vein from 20 min of LPS exposure resulted in significant reduction in the number of adherent leukocytes, degranulation of mast cell, expression of CD11b and the concentration of IL-6, INF-gamma, while had no influence on the intensity of DHR fluorescence and albumin leakage. The results suggested that post-treatment with PNS significantly attenuated microcirculatory disturbance induced by LPS.