3 ',4 '-Dimethoxythioflavone induces endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation through activation of epidermal growth factor receptor

Abstract

It is of interest to investigate whether synthetic thioflavonoids have vasorelaxant actions as natural flavonoids. We tested the hypothesis that 3',4'-dimethoxythioflavone induces endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation through activation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. Rat aortic rings were mounted in organ baths and subjected to relaxation upon contraction. 3',4'-Dimethoxythioflavone induced endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, which was attenuated by pretreatment with either l-N (omega)-nitroarginine methyl ester, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, or 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase. 3',4'-Dimethoxythioflavone-induced vasorelaxation was not affected by pretreatment with a general estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780, a selective estrogen receptor-alpha antagonist methyl-piperidino-pyrazole dihydrochloride, or a G protein-coupled receptor 30 antagonist G15. However, pretreatment with EGF receptor blockers AG1478 or DAPH, but not with a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitor LY294002 or an Akt1/2 kinase inhibitor Akt inhibitor VIII, attenuated 3',4'-dimethoxythioflavone-induced vasorelaxation. In addition, pretreatment with a Src inhibitor PP2 or an ERK inhibitor U0126 also attenuated vascular relaxation induced by the cumulative addition of 3',4'-dimethoxythioflavone. However, neither a mitochondrial electron transport inhibitor rotenone, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin, nor a superoxide dismutase mimetic MnTMPyP affected the vascular relaxation induced by the cumulative addition of 3',4'-dimethoxythioflavone. In conclusion, 3',4'-dimethoxythioflavone induces endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation through activation of EGF receptor and Src/ERK pathway in rat aorta.