Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is essential for normal growth and homeostasis in human body. However, certain diseases can be exacerbated by the loss of balance in angiogenesis, which results in either excessive or insufficient blood vessel formation. Diseases such as cancer, diabetic retinopathy and rheumatoid arthritis are characterized by excessive blood vessel formation while peripheral and coronary ischemia and infarction, chronic wound healing failure and ulcers are characterized by insufficient blood vessel formation. Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, named danggui in Chinese, is commonly used in the prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine. In traditional systems, it has been used for treatment of dehydration, lumbago, abnormal menstruation, menopausal symptoms, nervous disorders, as well as dealing circulation, anemia, chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, etc. Recently, Angelica sinensis was proved to be a potential candidate to cure the diseases, driven by imbalanced angiogenesis. However, the biological effects of Angelica sinensis on angiogenesis and the underlying mechanisms are unclear yet. This investigation describes the angiogenic effects of Angelica sinensis extract on HUVEC in vitro. The extract was identified to stimulate the proliferation of HUVEC by XTT assay and microscopic cell counting; in addition, flow cytometry analysis indicated that the extract significantly increased percentage of HUVEC on the DNA synthesis phase. The wound healing migration assay illustrated that the dramatic increment of migration could be measured in Angelica sinensis extract treated HUVEC; as well as the endothelial cell's cytoskeleton reorganization was detected, using fluorescence staining. Meanwhile, the numbers of invaded cells and the mean tube length were significantly increased in both treatment groups. In addition, Angelica sinensis extract was found to enhance VEGF mRNA expression by real-time PCR. In bead-based immunoassay, higher expression levels of phosphorylated forms of p38 and JNK 1/2 were also observed in effusions compared with control cells. All results suggest that Angelica sinensis extract can promote angiogenesis in multiple models and the proangiogenic effects.

血管新生 (angiogenesis），是指形成新血管的過程，具有維持人體正常的生長和平衡的功能。在許多疾病的發生、發展及轉歸、預後中扮演著重要的角色。近年來，調節血管新生的研究已成爲臨床治療中的熱點。研究主要集中在兩個方面：1.許多疾病的發生 、發展與血管生成有著密切的關係，如惡性腫瘤在其生長過程中，腫瘤組織中不斷有新生血管生成，這些新生血管爲腫瘤的生長提供了豐富的供血和營養。同時，由於新生血管管壁較薄，腫瘤細胞易於穿過，從而進入血循環並發生遠處轉移。因此，如能抑制新生血管的生成，也就可以阻斷腫瘤供血，達到“餓死”癌細胞的目的。其他一些良性疾病，如類風濕關節炎、眼底病、銀屑病等也與局部血管過度增生有關。2.促進血管生成對許多疾病的治療是有益的，對於骨折、創傷患者，如能促進創傷局部的血管生成，就可以改善局部供血，加快癒合。又如心肌梗塞患者，梗塞部位新生血管的生成對恢復受損心肌組織供血有重要意義。 近來，當歸已被證明具有治療由不規則血管新生所引起的病症的能力。但是，當歸怎樣作用於血管新生還沒有清晰的解說。因此，本文將以人臍靜脉內皮細胞(HUVEC)作體外模型描述當歸提取物是如何影響血管新生。首先，以XTT和細胞計數的方法確定當歸提取物能刺激HUVEC增値。應用流式細胞技術分析，得出當歸提取物可使HUVEC所含合成DNA的比例增加。在wounding healing遷移測試和螢光染色方法中，檢測出當歸提取物組具有顯著的遷移和細胞骨架再重組現象。同時，也檢測出當歸提取物可增加細胞的侵入數目和成管的長度。另外，在real-time PCR檢測中，加有當歸提取物的HUVEC內VEGF的mRNA表達也有增量； 而在基於微球的免疫檢測中，當歸提取物也可使HUVEC內磷酸化的p38和JNK1/2 表達水平上升。所有檢測結果都表明當歸提取物能夠提高血管新生的能力。