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Herbal medicine Catuama induces endothelium‐dependent and ‐independent vasorelaxant action on isolated vessels from rats, guinea‐pigs and rabbits
Author(s) -
Calixto João B.,
Cabrini Daniela A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1573(199702)11:1<32::aid-ptr33>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - apamin , glibenclamide , medicine , pharmacology , propranolol , contraction (grammar) , methylene blue , phenylephrine , vasodilation , nitric oxide synthase , anesthesia , chemistry , nitric oxide , potassium channel , endocrinology , biochemistry , blood pressure , diabetes mellitus , photocatalysis , catalysis
The present study was designed to examine the vasorelaxant action of the herbal medicine Catuama and the hydroalcoholic extracts (HE) of each plant present in this product and to compare their effects with that caused by acetylcholine (ACh) in intact ( + E) or in endothelium‐rubbed ( − E) rings of rat thoracic aorta (RA), guinea‐pig pulmonary artery (GPPA), guinea‐pig mesenteric artery (GPMA), rabbit pulmonary artery (RPA), rabbit mesenteric artery (RMA) precontracted with noradrenaline (NA) or phenylephrine (PE). The extract of Catuama (1‐3000 μg/mL) produced graded relaxation of RA, + E or − E, with mean EC 50 of 430 μg/mL and ≊ 3000 μg/mL and E max of 81 % ± 15 % and 47% ± 4 %, respectively. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, N ω ‐nitro‐ L ‐arginine ( L ‐NOARG, 100 μ M ), inhibited in vasorelaxant action ( p < 0.05) in RA ( + E), while indomethacin (3 μ M ), propranolol (1 μ M ), glibenclamide (1 μ M ), methylene blue (10 μ M ) and apamin (0.1 μ M ) had no significant effect. ACh (1‐1000 μ M ) caused graded relaxation in RA with + E, these effects being markedly antagonized by L ‐NOARG (100 μ M ), methylene blue (10 μ M ) and partially by apamin (0.1 μ M ), but not by indomethacin (3 μ M ), glibenclamide (1 μ M ) or propranolol (1 μ M ). The Catuama extract (1‐3000 μg/mL) produces partial relaxations in rings of RMA (mean EC 50 of 1073 μg7/ml and E max of 56 % ± 13 %), an effect which was antagonized by L ‐NOARG (100 μ M ). In RPA ( + E) the extract produces partial relaxation followed by contraction (E max 28 % ± 6 %), an effect which was abolished by L ‐NOARG (100 μ M ) or methylene blue (10 μ M ). The extract caused graded relaxation in rings of GPPA and GPMA with mean EC 50 values of 60 μg/mL and 1148 μg/mL and E max 96% ± 2% and 88% ± 12%, respectively. L ‐NOARG (100 μ M ) blocked the Catuama extract vasorelaxation in GPPA and only partially in GPMA, but markedly antagonized the vasorelaxations caused by ACh in both GPPA andRMA. The HE Paullinea cupana , Zinziber officinalis and Trichilia catigua (1‐3000 μg/mL) caused a graded vasorelaxant effect + E of RA with a mean EC 50 of 22, 55 and 1793 μg/mL and E max 100%, 86% ± 7% 70% ± 2%, respectively. In addition the HE of P. cupana also caused graded relaxation in − E of RA with EC 50 and E max of 233 μg/mL and 100%, respectively, while T. catigua and Z. officinalis produced partial relaxation in RA + E. In contrast the HE of Ptychopetalum olacoides caused little contraction (46% ± 14%). These results demonstrate that the medicinal herb Catuama produces significant vasorelaxation responses in vessels from different animal species, and show that its effects are in great part dependent on the release of NO or NO‐derived substances. Our results also demonstrate that the vasorelaxant action of the product Catuama seems to be due to the action of the active principles present mainly in P. cupana ; T. catigua and, to a lesser extent, in Z. officinalis . Such results may contribute to the explanation of its beneficial effect of Catuama herbal medicine in the management of cardiovascular disturbances. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.