title: In-vitro vasodilatory activity of the hexanic extract of leaves and stems from Piper truncatum Vell. in rats.
abstract: Several plants from the Brazilian Tropical Forest are used in folk medicine for treatment of hypertension and asthma. In this study, we investigated the effects of hexanic extracts of leaves (HLE) and stems (HSE) from Piper truncatum on the contractility of cardiac, vascular and tracheal smooth muscles. Twitches of cardiac muscles obtained with electrical stimulation were recorded before and after exposure to increasing concentrations of hexanic extracts. HLE and HSE respectively reduced significantly the amplitude of twitches to 57.05 +/- 11.63 and 61.58 +/- 5.70% of control in the presence of 100 microg mL(-1). Contractile response to a single concentration of adrenaline (epinephrine) was measured before and after exposure of rat aorta rings to HLE and HSE. Both extracts inhibited aorta contraction in a concentration-dependent manner. The concentration of 50% inhibitory effect (IC50) was 32.3 +/- 13.8 and 47.0 +/- 23.8 microg mL(-1) for HLE and HSE, respectively, in aorta with intact endothelium. HLE and HSE also reduced the acetylcholine-precontracted trachea in a concentration-dependent manner with maximal effect observed at 250 and 350 microg mL(-1), respectively. Vasodilatation and trachea relaxation induced by HLE and HSE could explain the use of Piper extracts to reduce blood pressure and bronchospasm.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia Básica e Clínica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Bloco J, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-590 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Montani
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Raimundo
authors.forename: Roberta Ramos
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.forename: Leosvaldo Salazar Marques
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Velozo
authors.forename: Maria Auxiliadora Coelho
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Cerli Rocha
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Gattass
authors.forename: Gisele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zapata-Sudo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006586:Hexanes / Q000737:chemistry; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D031701:Piper / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014132:Trachea / Q000502:physiology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D006586:Hexanes; D010936:Plant Extracts