Comparative study of the antihypertensive activity of Marrubium vulgare and of the dihydropyridine calcium antagonist amlodipine in spontaneously hypertensive rat.
Water extract of Marrubium vulgare is widely used as antihypertensive treatment in folk medicine. We have compared the effect of 10-week-long treatment with amlodipine or Marrubium water extract on systolic blood pressure (SBP), cardiovascular remodeling and vascular relaxation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Both treatments produced similar decrease in SBP. Amlodipine treatment reduced left ventricle, aortic and mesenteric artery weight. Marrubium treatment had a significant antihypertrophic effect in aorta only. Relaxation to acetylcholine (ACh) of mesenteric artery was improved by Marrubium but not by amlodipine treatment. These results demonstrate that, in addition to its antihypertensive effect, Marrubium water extract improved the impaired endothelial function in SHR.
El Bardai
Sanae
S
UFR Physiologie-Pharmacologie, Faculté des Sciences Dahar-Elmahraz, Fès, Morocco.
Lyoussi
Badiaa
B
Wibo
Maurice
M
Morel
Nicole
N
D017311:Amlodipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D027522:Marrubium; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017311:Amlodipine