LITHOSPERMIC ACID-B AS AN ANTIOXIDANT-BASED PROTECTOR OF CULTURED VENTRICULAR MYOCYTES AND AORTIC ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS OF RABBITS

Lithospermic acid B, an active principle found in a Chinese herbal med icine for treating various heart ailments, was recently isolated, puri fied and demonstrated by us to salvage the postischemic rabbit heart f rom reperfusion injury. In this work, we further report that lithosper mate B is able to protect each of two types of rabbit cardiocytes, nam ely ventricular myocytes and aortic endothelial cells against necrosis inflicted by oxyradicals generated pharmacologically with xanthine ox idase and hypoxanthine. Biochemically, the lithospermate B also inhibi ts the reduction of cytochrome c by superoxide radical anion. Thus, ou r in vitro data here are in concord with our earlier in vivo finding t hat lithospermic acid B is most likely an effective antioxidant-based myocardial protector.