title: Vascular effects of aqueous crude extracts of Artemisia verlotorum Lamotte (Compositae): in vivo and in vitro pharmacological studies in rats.
abstract: Artemisia verlotorum Lamotte (Compositae), growing in almost all the northern hemisphere, is used in folk medicine of some countries of Tuscany, Italy, as a remedy for hypertension. The pharmacological evaluation of the responses evoked by an aqueous dried extract of Artemisia verlotorum on the blood pressure of anaesthetized rats and on in vitro rat isolated aortae showed a marked, but transient, hypotensive activity. This effect was mediated by a strong vasodilator action, closely linked to the release of endothelial nitric oxide and to the nitric oxide-guanosine 3'-5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) pathway, caused by a muscarinic receptor agonism.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Pisa, via Bonanno 6 - 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Calderone
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martinotti
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baragatti
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Breschi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morelli
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000494:pharmacology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D004176:Dipyridamole; D001285:Atropine; D000109:Acetylcholine; D008751:Methylene Blue; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009638:Norepinephrine