EFFECTS OF CHRONIC TREATMENT OF RHAPTOPETALUM CORIACEUM ON VASCULAR RESPONSE AND ENDOTHELIUM DEPENDENT RELAXATION IN SALT-INDUCED HYPERTENSIVE RATS

Abstract

Salt loading for six weeks was used to induce hypetension in rats and treatment with Rhaptopetalum coriaceum Oliv (RCO) extract reduced significantly (P<0.05) the blood pressure similarly, treatment with RCO extract decreased the sensitivity of the aortic rings to noraddrenaline (NA) and potassium chloride (KCl) in salt loaded rats, resulting in decreased contractile responses of the rings to both of these agents. Acetylcholine (ACh) also caused relaxation of the NA induced precontraction and relation response to ACh was higher with salt-RCO treated rings compared to those of control while salt loaded rings attenuated the relaxation response to ACh. The results suggest that salt induced hypertension is associated with impairment of vascular responses to vasoactive agents and endothelim dependent relaxation to ACh and these were corrected by treatment with RCO extract.


Key Words: Rhaptopetalum coriaceum, Seytopetalaceae, blood pressure, vascular responses, Endothelium, rats.


Nig. J. Nat Prod. And Med. Vol.5 2001: 17-19