Tanshinone IIA From Salvia miltiorrhiza BUNGE inhibits Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cell Migration and MMP-9 Activity Through AKT Signaling Pathway

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration plays an important role in normal angiogenesis and is relevant to disease-related vascular remodeling in conditions such as brain arteriovenous malformations, pulmonary hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and restenosis after angioplasty. In this present study, we showed that tanshinone IIA, the major liqid-soluble pharmacological constituent of Salivia miltiorrhiza BUNGE, inhibits human aortic smooth muscle cell (HASMC) migration and MMP-9 activity. Tanshinone IIA significantly inhibited IkB alpha phosphorylation and p65 nuclear translocation through inhibition of AKT phosphorylation. Tanshinone IIA inhibited TNF-alpha-induced ERK and c-jun phosphorylation, but not other MAPKs such as JNK and p38. Tanshinone IIA also inhibited NF-kappa B and AP-1 DNA-binding. Moreover, tanshinone IIA inhibited the migration of HASMC migration and may offer a therapeutic approach to block HASMC migration. J. Cell. Biochem.