This study was carried out to investigate the impact of polyphenol-rich extract from mulberry leaf on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) and verify its mechanism in vitro. VSMC proliferation is an important pathophysiological process in the development of atherosclerosis, which is the major cause of coronary artery disease (CAD). Polyphenol-rich foods, such as mulberry leaf, have been reported to reduce the risk of CAD. The effect of mulberry leaf extract (MLE) on cell growth was measured by a growth curve assay, on distribution of cells in the cell cycle by flow cytometry, and on cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity and cell-cycle regulatory proteins by Western blot, immunoblotting, and immunoprecipitation analyses. The results showed that MLE induced phosphorylation of p53, promoted expression of p21 and p27, decreased CDK2/4 activity, inhibited phosphorylation of Rb, and thereby blocked the G1 to S transition in the cell cycle.
