Skip to main content
Figure 5 | BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Figure 5

From: Echinacea-induced cytosolic Ca2+ elevation in HEK293

Figure 5

Transient increase in cytosolic Ca 2+ concentration in HEK293 cells induced by E. purpurea root ethanol extracts is associated with Ca 2+ release from the IP 3 -sensitive intracellular store and the PLC pathway. (A) Kinetic changes of [Ca2+]i in HEK cells in response to repeated applications of Echinacea extract (100 μg/ml) in normal (2 mM Ca2+) and Ca2+-free (EDTA-chelated) solution. Removal of Ca2+ from media does not affect the Echinacea-evoked response when compared to the control (without Ca2+ removal) (p < 0.001), indicating the response may be associated with the release of internal Ca2+ stores; (B) Transient increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration evoked by Echinacea can be abolished by 10 min pretreatment of cells with 100 μM of 2-APB, an IP3 receptor antagonist; this effect was significant (p < 0.001) as compared to the control (without pretreatment by 2-APB); (C) Transient increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration evoked by Echinacea can be abolished by a 10 min pretreatment of cells with 2 μM U73122, a PLC inhibitor, indicating PLC may be required for the response; this effect is significant (p < 0.001) as compared to the control (without treatment by U73122). (D) Transient increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration evoked by Echinacea cannot be abolished by a 10 min pretreatment with 2 μM U73343, an inactive analog of U73122. The effect of U73343 was not significant (p > 0.05) when compared to the control (without treatment of U73343). Echinacea treatment time in this set of experiments was 2 mins. Data are average traces of at least 20 cells in one experiment representative of three independent experiments.

Back to article page