• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2002

The present study was aimed to examine the role of endothelium in the relaxant effect of hawthorn fruit extract of Crataegus pinnatifida in four different types of rat arteries, posterior cerebral communicating artery, right descending coronary artery, common carotid artery, and aorta. In $9,11-dideoxy-11{\alpha}$, $9{\alpha}-epoxy-methanoprostaglandin$ $F_{2{\alpha}}$ (U46619)-preconstricted arterial rings except for aorta, the extract produced endothelium-independent relaxations with similar potency. This relaxation was unaffected by pretreatment with $100\;{\mu}M\;N^G-nitro-L-arginine$ methylester (L-NAME, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), $3\;{\mu}M$ 1H-[l,2,4]oxadiazolo$[4,2-{\alpha}]$quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, the guanylate cyclase inhibitor), or $10\;{\mu}M$ indomethacin (the cyclooxygenase inhibitor). Putative $K^+$ channel blockers (charybdotoxin plus apamin or glibenclamide) did not affect the extract-induced relaxation in cerebral or coronary artery rings. In contrast, in rat aortic rings the extract produced significantly smaller relaxant response in endothelium-denuded rings than that in endothelium-intact rings. Pretreatment with L-NAME or ODQ abolished the extractinduced endothelium-dependent aortic relaxation, whilst indomethacin $(3\;{\mu}M)$ had no effect. The present results indicate that hawthorn fruit extract possesses a vasorelaxing effect in cerebral, coronary and carotid arteries and this effect is independent of the presence of a functional endothelium. However, the extract-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation in rat aorta was mediated through endothelial nitric oxide and cyclic GMP-dependent mechanisms, suggesting that active components in the extract may act on endothelium to stimulate release of nitric oxide in large conduit arteries of the rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 1995

This study was designed to test whether or not 1) ischemia-reperfusion attenuates endothelium-dependent relaxation of coronary arteries and 2) preconditioning protects the arterial endothelium from ischemia-reperfusion injury. In anesthetized open chest rabbits, branches of the left circumflex artery were exposed to different combinations of the experimental conditions; ischemia (15 minutes), ischemia (15 minutes)-reperfusion (10 minutes), preconditioning ischemia, and pre-conditioning fellowed by ischemia-reperfusion. Preconditioning consisted of 3 occlusions of 2-min duration, each followed by n 5-min reperfusion. Rings of the artery exposed to the experimental condition and of normal left anterior descending coronary artery were prepared and suspended for isometric force measurement in organ chambers containing Krebs Ringer bicarbonate solution. The rings were contracted with 29.6 mM KCI. Ischemia alone did not attenuate endothelium-dependent relaxation by acetylcholine. However, ischemia-reperfusion significantly impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation. Endothelium-independent relaxation by sodium nitroprusside was not impaired by ischemia-reperfusion and the constrictive response to acetylcholine was not altered in reperfused rings without endothelium, compared with control rings. Arterial rings exposed to preconditioning followed by ischemia-reperfusion exhibited impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation by acetyl-choline. However, although preconditioning not fellowed by ischemia-reperfusion, attenuated endothelium-dependent relaxation at low concentrations of acetylcholine, the magnitude of the impairment by preconditioning followed by ischemia-reperfusion was significantly less than that of the impairment by ischemia-reperfusion alone. These data demonstrate that ischemia-reperfusion significantly attenuates endothelium-dependent relaxation by producing endothelial dysfunction and preconditioning Protects the endothelium of coronary arteries from ischemia-reperfusion injury.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.325-330
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• 2011

Red ginseng saponin fraction-A (RGSF-A) contains a high percentage of panaxadiol saponins that were isolated from Korean red ginseng by ultrafiltration. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of RGSF-A on the porcine distal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. The relaxant responses to RGSF-A were examined during contractions induced by 100 nM U46619 (9,11-dideoxy-9a,11a-methanoepoxy-prostaglandin F2a), a stable analogue of thromboxane A2. RGSF-A dose-dependently induced biphasic (fast- and slow-) relaxation in the distal LAD coronary artery in the presence of an intact endothelium. The fast-relaxation was quickly achieved in a minute, and then the slow-relaxation was slowly developed and sustained for more than thirty minutes after the administration of RGSF-A. The slow-relaxation had a tendency to be bigger than the fast-relaxation. Fast relaxation induced by RGSF-A was almost blocked by $N_{\omega}$-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide synthase synthase inhibitor and 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), a guanylate cyclase inhibitor. However slow relaxation induced by RGSF-A was only partially inhibited by L-NAME and ODQ. In the endothelium-removed ring, RGSF-A evoked only slowrelaxation to a certain extent. These data suggest that RGSF-A induced both endothelium dependent fast- and slow-relaxation and endothelium independent slow-relaxation in the porcine distal LAD coronary artery. The endothelium dependent fast-relaxation is mediated by the nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP pathway, and the endothelium dependent slow-relaxation is at least partially mediated by the NO-cGMP pathway. However, the endothelium-independent slow-relaxation remains to be elucidated.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1311-1316
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• 2005

This study was designed to potentiate the vasodilation effect of Banhabackchulchunma-Tang(BCT) prescription by change of mixture. Six different BCT compositions were made according to mixture of herbs. The vascular relaxation effects of 6 different BCT compositions were examined on phenylephrine(PE)-precontracted rat thoracic aorta. The BCT-1 composition exerted significant relaxation on phenylephrine- or KCI- contracted rat thoracic aorta. Its elaxation was endothelium- independent in both PE- and KCl-induced contraction. Treatment of glibenclamide or tetraethylammonium(TEA) did not affect the relaxation of BCT-1. Vasorelaxation efficacy of BCT-1 was also not influenced by low (25mM) or high (50mM, 80mM) KCl-induced contraction. Furthermore, the contraction by increasing $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations (0.3-10.0mM) to a $Ca^{2+}$-free high K+ (60mM) was significantly reduced by pretreatment with BCT-1 In addition, the relaxant effects were not inhibited by pretreatment of rat aorta with L-NAME, MB, indomethacin and atropine. These results confirm that BCT-1 may exerts its vasodilation effect by endothelium-independent manner. According to the above results, we suggest that the relaxation effect of BCT-1 is endothelium-independent and is related with block of $Ca^{2+}$ influx via $Ca^{2+}$ channel.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.357-366
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• 2004

We studied the effect of propofol (PPF) on the endothelium-dependent vascular responses in isolated rat thoracic aorta. In aortic rings with endothelium, PPF inhibited the phenylephrine (PE)-induced contraction in a concentration-dependent manner. In PE-precontracted preparations, PPF attenuated the endothelium-dependent relaxation by acetylcholine but not by A23187. And PPF did not attenuate the endothelium-independent relaxation by sodium nitroprusside (SNP). The relaxation induced by acetylcholine in PE-precontracted aortic rings was significantly augmented by zaprinast, a cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor, and this augmentation was inhibited by PPF. Although SNP-induced relaxation was significantly augmented by zaprinast, this augmentation was not inhibited by PPF. In preparations preconstricted with PE, the PPF-induced relaxation was inhibited by atropine. In addition, PPF attenuated the vasorelaxation by phosphodiesterase inhibitors (IBMX, Ro20-1724 or zaprinast except milrinone). In vivo, the infusion of acetylcholine and SNP showed decreased arterial blood pressure in rats. The pre-injection of PPF inhibited the acetylcholine-induced blood pressure lowering, but not the SNP-induced blood pressure lowering. These results suggest that PPF can attenuate in part the acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation and blood pressure lowering through the inhibition of the acetylcholine receptor-mediated endothelium-derived relaxing factor by acting on endothelium. It is considered that the inhibitory effect of PPF on the vasorelaxation is due to the decreased level of cGMP which can be attributed to the inhibition of the muscarinic receptor and/or receptor-G-protein interaction.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.263-270
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• 2000

To evaluate the involvement of nitric oxide production on the endothelium-dependent relaxation in diabetes, we have measured vascular and endothelial function and nitric oxide concentration, and the expression level of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Diabetic rats were induced by the injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg i.v.) in the Sprague-Dawley rats. Vasoconstrictor responses to norepinephrine (NE) showed that maximal contraction to norepinephrine $(10^{-5}\;M)$ was significantly enhanced in the aorta of diabetic rats. Endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by acetylcholine was markedly impaired in the aorta of diabetic rats, these responses were little improved by the pretreatment with indomethacin. However, endothelium-independent relaxation induced by nitroprusside was not altered in the diabetic rats. Plasma nitrite and nitrate $(NO_2/_3)$ levels in diabetic rats were significantly lower than in non-diabetic rats. Western blot analysis using a monoclonal antibody against endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) revealed that the protein level was lower in the aorta of diabetic rats than in non-diabetic rats. These data indicate that nitric oxide formation and eNOS expression is reduced in diabetes, and this would, in part, account for the impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in the aorta of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.182-189
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• 1998

Administration of ginsenosides, a mixture of saponin extracted from Panax ginseng, decreased blood pressure in rat. Previous studies have shown that ginsenosides caused endothelium-dependent relaxation, which was associated with the formation of cyclic GMP, suggested that ginsenosides caused release of nitric oxide (NO) from the vascular endothelium. The aim of the present study was to characterize the endothelium-independent relaxation to ginsenosides in the isolated rat aorta. Ginsenosides caused a concentration-dependent relaxation of rat aortic rings without endothelium constricted with 25 mM KCI but affected only minimally those constricted with 60 mM KCI. Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) was a more potent vasorelaxing agonist than total ginsenoside mixture and also the ginsenoside PPT and PPD groups. Relaxation to ginsenosides were markedly reduced by TEA, but not by glibenclamide. Rg3 significantly inhibited Cal'-induced concentration-contraction curves and the "50a2'influx in aortic rings incubated in 25 mM KCI whereas those responses were not affected in 60 mM KCI. Rg3 caused efflux of $"Rb in aortic rings that was inhibited by tetraethy- lammonium (TEA), an inhibitor of Ca"-dependent K'channels, but not by glibenclamide, an inhibitor of AfP-dependent K'channels. These findings indicate that ginsenosides may induce vasorelaxation via activation of Ca2'-dependent K'channels resulting in hyperpolarization of the vas- cular smooth muscle with subsequent inhibition of the opening of voltage-dependent Caf'channels. These effects could contribute to explain the red ginseng-associated vasodilation and the beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 1991

In the isolated rabbit mesenteric artery denuded of endothelium, we characterized the identity of the A23187-induced endothelium-dependent relaxing factor (EDRF) released from the endothelium of rabbit aorta, which is distinct from that of acetylcholine-induced relaxing factor. In the normal physiological salt solution (PSS), the dose-response curves to A23187 and acetylcholine were overlapped together. Their effects were also inhibited by methylene blue. Upon application of hypoxanthine and xanthine oxidase into the bath, the phenylephrine-induced precontraction was transiently increased followed by the sustained relaxation. During the burst of hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction, the $Ca^{++}$ ionophore, A23187 but not acetylcholine was able to cause an immediate relaxation. However, A23187-induced relaxation was not manifested when precontracted by 50 mM $K^+-PSS$. Nevertheless, in the presence of superoxide dismutase, A23187 could produce an immediate relaxation without accompanying the transient contraction as acetylcholine did during the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction. On the other hand, acetylcholine-induced relaxation was more sensitively inhibited by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) than A23187-induced relaxation. Endothelium-independent relaxation to sodium nitroprusside was not affected by PMA. Based on these results it is suggested that both A23187 and acetylcholine cause the methylene blue-inhibitable endothelium-dependent relaxation, and in addition, A23187 may release a stable EDRF which is resistant to superoxide anion and PMA.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.390-395
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• 1996

To investigate whether $AT_{1}$ receptor antagonists are acting by increasing endothelium-de-pendent and -independent relaxation of aortas in normotensive rats, $AT_{1}$ receptor antagonists, losartan and KR-30988, and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril, were orally administered for two weeks (50 mg/kg, b.i.d.). THe blood pressure, heart rate and body weight were not significantly changed by losartan, KR-30988 and captopril compared to the control group. In aortic preparations, the $pD_{2}$ of KR-30988 for ACh-induced relaxation was 8.33 $\pm$ 0.16, significantly (p <0.05) lower than that of control group $(7.71 \pm 0.15)$. ACh-induced relaxation was significantly increased on losartan-treated group (p<0.01) at $10^{-6}$ M of ACh, and in captopril-treated group (p<0.05) at the range of $10^{-7}$ -$10^{-5}$ M of ACh. The $pD_{2}$ values for histamine-induced relaxatio of losartan, KR-30988 and captopril were 5.57 $\pm$ 0.10, 5.85 $\pm$ 0.21 and 5.60 $\pm$ 0.01, respectively, with significant differences in all groups (p<0.01) compared to that of control group (5.13 $\pm$ 0.09). ACh-induced relaxations of aortic preparations were not changed by pretreatment of indomethacin ($10_{-5}$ M), and completely bolcked by pretreatment of L-NAME $(10_{-5}M)$ in all groups. Sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxations were not significantly changed by all drugs tested in this experiments. These results suggest that $AT_{1}$ receptor antagonists, losartan and KR-30988, enhance the endothelium-dependent relaxatio on aortic preparations through the release of, or increase sensitivity, to nitric oxide in nor-motensive rats.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.329-335
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• 2016

Objectives: Safranal is a pharmacologically active component of saffron and is responsible for the unique aroma of saffron. The hypotensive effect of safranal has been shown in previous studies. This study evaluates the mechanism for the vasodilatory effects induced by safranal on isolated rat aortas. Methods: To study the vasodilatory effects of safranal (0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 mM), we contracted isolated rat thoracic aorta rings by using $10^{-6}-M$ phenylephrine (PE) or 80-mM KCl. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was used as a control. The vasodilatory effect of safranal was also evaluated both on intact and denuded endothelium aortic rings. Furthermore, to study the role of nitric oxide and prostacyclin in the relaxation induced by safranal, we incubated the aortic rings by using L-NAME ($10^{-6}M$) or indomethacin ($10^{-5}M$), each for 20 minutes. Results: Safranal induced relaxation in endothelium-intact aortic rings precontracted by using PE or KCl in a concentration-dependent manner, with a maximum relaxation of more than 100%. The relaxant activity of safranal was not eliminated by incubating the aortic rings with L-NAME ($EC_{50}=0.29$ vs. $EC_{50}=0.43$) or with indomethacin ($EC_{50}=0.29$ vs. $EC_{50}=0.35$), where $EC_{50}$ is the half maximal effective concentration. Also, the vasodilatory activity of safranal was not modified by endothelial removal. Conclusion: This study indicated that relaxant activity of safranal is mediated predominantly through an endothelium-independent mechanism.