Effect of Flos carthami on stress-activated protein kinase activity in theisolated reperfused rat heart

The apoptotic death of cardiomyocytes due to ischemia/reperfusion is one of the major complications of heart disease. Ischemia/reperfusion has been sh own to lead to the activation of the stress-activated protein (SAP) kinases and the p38/reactivating kinase (p38/RK). In this study, the direct effect of an aqueous Flos carthami (FC) extract on SAP kinases was investigated. When isolated rat hearts were perfused by Langendorff mode with media conta ining FC extract prior to the induction of global ischemia and the subseque nt reperfusion, SAP kinase activity was inhibited 95%. Untreated ischemic/r eperfused hearts showed a 57% elevation in the activity of SAP kinase. The in vitro effect of these FC extracts on SAP kinase was also tested. At a co ncentration of 10 mu g/ml, the aqueous FC extract resulted in 50% inhibitio n of SAP kinase activity in ischemic heart tissue. Our results showed that FC affected both the interaction of SAP kinase with c-jun as well as the ph osphotransferase reaction. These results clearly demonstrate that extracts from Flos carthami exerted inhibitory effects on SAP kinase. The administra tion of the FC extract may lead to a modulation of the apoptotic effect of SAP kinase activation induced during ischemia/reperfusion.