Comparison of green tea extract and epigallocatechin gallate on blood pressure and contractile responses of vascular smooth muscle of rats.
The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of green tea extract (GTE) on arteral blood pressure and contractile responses of isolated aortic strips of the normotensive rats and to establish the mechanism of action. The phenylephrine (10(-8) approximately 10(-5) M)-induced contractile responses were greatly inhibited in the presence of GTE (0.3 approximately 1.2 mg/mL) in a dose-dependent fashion. Also, high potassium (3.5 x 10(-2) approximately 5.6 x 10(-2) M)-induced contractile responses were depressed in the presence of 0.6 approximately 1.2 mg/mL of GTE, but not affected in low concentration of GTE (0.3 mg/mL). However, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, 4 approximately 12 microg/mL) did not affect the contractile responses evoked by phenylephrine and high K+. GTE (5 approximately 20 mg/kg) given into a femoral vein of the normotensive rat produced a dose-dependent depressor response, which is transient. Interestingly, the infusion of a moderate dose of GTE (10 mg/kg/30 min) made a significant reduction in pressor responses induced by intravenous norepinephrine. However, EGCG (1 mg/kg/30 min) did not affect them. Collectively, these results obtained from the present study demonstrate that intravenous GTE causes a dose-dependent depressor action in the anesthetized rat at least partly through the blockade of adrenergic alpha1-receptors. GTE also causes the relaxation in the isolated aortic strips of the rat via the blockade of adrenergic alpha1-receptors, in addition to the unknown direct mechanism. It seems that there is a big difference in the vascular effect between GTE and EGCG.
Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju 501-759, Korea. dylim@chosun.ac.kr
Dong-Yoon
DY
Lim
Eun-Sook
ES
Lee
Hyeon-Gyoon
HG
Park
Byeong-Cheol
BC
Kim
Soon-Pyo
SP
Hong
Eun-Bang
EB
Lee
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013662:Tea; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D010936:Plant Extracts; D013662:Tea; D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate