Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Isolation of Primary Patient-specific Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells and Semiquantitative Real-time Contraction Measurements In Vitro
08:28

Isolation of Primary Patient-specific Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells and Semiquantitative Real-time Contraction Measurements In Vitro

Published on: February 15, 2022

Cordycepin inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation

Woochul Chang1, Soyeon Lim, Heesang Song

  • 1Cardiovascular Research Institute, Cardiology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 120-752, South Korea.

European Journal of Pharmacology
|September 11, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Cordycepin treatment reduced neointimal formation in balloon-injured rat carotid arteries, inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. This suggests cordycepin may be a potential therapeutic for restenosis by modulating vessel wall remodeling.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Pharmacology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is limited by restenosis, a process involving vascular remodeling and extracellular matrix accumulation.
  • The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) system is implicated in restenosis and atherosclerosis.
  • Cordycepin exhibits various pharmacological activities, but its effect on restenosis is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the therapeutic potential of cordycepin in preventing restenosis.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of cordycepin's action on the MMP system in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Main Methods:

  • Balloon injury model in Sprague-Dawley rat carotid arteries.
  • Treatment with cordycepin (20 microM/day, i.p.).
  • Assessment of neointimal formation, rat aortic smooth muscle cell (RaoSMC) proliferation, MMP-2 and -9 activation, extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) expression, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in collagen type I-activated RaoSMCs.

Main Results:

  • Cordycepin treatment reduced neointimal formation in balloon-injured rat carotid arteries.
  • Cordycepin inhibited RaoSMC proliferation.
  • Cordycepin dose-dependently inhibited MMP-2 and -9 activation and EMMPRIN expression in activated RaoSMCs.
  • Cordycepin suppressed COX-2 expression.

Conclusions:

  • Cordycepin demonstrates antiproliferative effects on RaoSMCs, likely through modulation of vessel wall remodeling.
  • Cordycepin's inhibition of MMP activation and EMMPRIN expression suggests a role in preventing restenosis.
  • Cordycepin represents a potential therapeutic strategy for treating restenosis and atherosclerosis.

More Related Videos

Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation08:43

Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation

Published on: May 31, 2016

Isolation of Intrapulmonary Artery and Smooth Muscle Cells to Investigate Vascular Responses07:56

Isolation of Intrapulmonary Artery and Smooth Muscle Cells to Investigate Vascular Responses

Published on: June 8, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Antihypertensive Drugs: Action of Calcium Channel Blockers01:18

Antihypertensive Drugs: Action of Calcium Channel Blockers

Calcium ions are essential to contract smooth muscle cells in blood vessels. They enter these cells through voltage-dependent calcium channels, specifically L-type calcium channels in the cell membrane. These L-type calcium channels are integral to the excitation-contraction coupling process in smooth muscle. When a stimulus is received by smooth muscle cells, their membrane depolarizes. This alteration in membrane potential instigates the opening of L-type calcium channels. As a result,...
Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
Inhibition of CDK Activity02:34

Inhibition of CDK Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
Smooth Muscle Contraction01:25

Smooth Muscle Contraction

Smooth muscle contraction is a complex process vital for various bodily functions, from maintaining blood vessel tension to facilitating the movement of food through the digestive tract. Unlike striated muscles, smooth muscle contraction begins more slowly and lasts longer.
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...
Inhibitors of Bacterial Protein Synthesis01:25

Inhibitors of Bacterial Protein Synthesis

Aminoglycosides constitute a highly potent class of bactericidal antibiotics that exert their antimicrobial effects by targeting the bacterial ribosome, specifically disrupting protein synthesis. These polycationic molecules consist of amino-modified sugars linked via glycosidic bonds to an aminocyclitol core such as 2-deoxystreptamine or streptamine. Their strong positive charges facilitate tight binding to the negatively charged phosphate backbone of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), primarily at the 16S...
Inhibitors of Gram-positive Cell Wall Synthesis01:23

Inhibitors of Gram-positive Cell Wall Synthesis

Bacterial cell walls are typically rigid structures composed mainly of peptidoglycan, a mesh-like polymer that provides mechanical strength and maintains cell shape. The synthesis of peptidoglycan is a crucial process in bacterial growth and serves as a primary target for many antibiotics.Mechanism of Action of Beta-Lactam AntibioticsBeta-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillin, inhibit peptidoglycan synthesis in actively growing cells. These antibiotics share a characteristic four-membered...