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Terminalia arjuna extract modulates the contraction of rat aorta induced by KCl and norepinephrine
Author(s) -
Tripathi Yamini B.
Publication year - 1993
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/ptr.2650070413
Subject(s) - terminalia arjuna , contraction (grammar) , diltiazem , vascular smooth muscle , pharmacology , muscle contraction , chemistry , aorta , calcium , medicine , traditional medicine , endocrinology , smooth muscle , terminalia
The bark of Terminalia arjuna is in clinical use for the management of cardiovascular disorders in India. The objective of this study was to investigate the contractile response induced by the extract on rat aorta, a vascular smooth muscle. Terminalia arjuna relaxed the contraction, induced by both KCl (60 m M ) and norepinephrine (NE, 3 μ M ). Inhibition was more prominent (80%) in the NE induced contraction than the KCl induced contraction (30%). Under similar conditions diltiazem, a calcium channel blocker (Dz, 1.0 μ M ), inhibited 68% of the KCl induced and 30% of NE induced contraction. Thus it appears that the action of Terminalia arjuna extract differs from that of diltiazem in that it is more specific for alpha‐adrenergic receptor agonists. It indirectly inhibited the contraction induced by norepinephrine by acting on K (Ca) channel by hyperpolarizing the smooth muscle membrane.