title: Effects of tetramethylpyrazine on portal hypertensive rats.
abstract: The effects of tetramethylpyrazine, an alkaloid isolated from a Chinese herb Ligusticum wallichii Franch have been assessed in portal hypertensive rats. Portal hypertension was induced by partial portal vein ligation in Sprague-Dawley rats. Two weeks after ligation, when the hyperdynamic state had stabilized, rats were anaesthetized after an overnight fast and cannulated for measurement of mean arterial pressure, portal venous pressure, cardiac index and heart rate. Tetramethylpyrazine (3.0, 9.9 and 30mgkg(-1)) induced dose-dependent reductions of portal venous pressure and mean arterial pressure after intravenous infusion. The maximum percentage reduction of portal venous pressure after tetramethylpyrazine was 6.0+/-0.8, 9.3+/-1.6 and 20+/-2% of baseline for doses of 3.0, 9.9 and 30.0mgkg(-1), respectively. Also, total peripheral resistance was significantly reduced by tetramethylpyrazine and cardiac index was slightly increased. Our results showed that tetramethylpyrazine induced portal pressure reduction in portal hypertensive rats.
authors.affiliation: Xiyuan Hospital and Institute of Geriatrics, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing.
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects*; D014690:Venous Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D011719:Pyrazines; C017953:tetramethylpyrazine