OBJCTIVE: To study the effect of danshensu on the peroxynitrite induced luminol chemiluminescence and protein tyrosine nitration at physiological pH so as to understand the medicinal mechanism of dashensu on a molecular level. METHODS: The chemiluminescent product of numinol was evaluated with the peak value of light emission and the nitrated product of tyrosine was measured spectrophotometrically at 430nm. RESULT: Danshensu inhibited both the chemiluminescence and the nitration in a concentration dependent manner. The inhibition of dandhensu to the reactions is more effective than ascorbate a...