title: Pycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract, improves endothelial function of hypertensive patients.
abstract: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group study was performed with 58 patients to investigate effects of French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol, on patients with hypertension. Supplementation of the patients with 100 mg Pycnogenol over a period of 12 weeks helped to reduce the dose of the calcium antagonist nifedipine in a statistically significant manner. The intake of Pycnogenol decreased endothelin-1 concentrations significantly compared to placebo while concentrations of 6-keto prostaglandin F1a in plasma were significantly higher compared to placebo. Values for nitric oxide (NO) in plasma increased in both groups, but the differences were not significant. Angiotensin II concentrations in plasma were lowered in the placebo group to a larger extent than in the Pycnogenol group. Heart rate, electrolytes and blood urea nitrogen were not changed during treatment in both groups of patients. Unwanted effects observed in both groups were of mild and transient nature, such as gastrointestinal problems, vertigo, headache and nausea. Differences in rate of side effects were not statistically significant between the two groups. Study results support a supplementation with Pycnogenol for mildly hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: Guang An Men Hospital of Chinese Medical Science Research Institute, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Ximing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Junping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Fengsen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Shengming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Gudrun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Würthwein
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rohdewald
mesh_terms: D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000097:blood; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D028223:Pinus / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000804:Angiotensin II; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C024070:pycnogenols; D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha; D009543:Nifedipine