title: Anti-hypertensive effects of Brazilian propolis in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: 1. Changes in the cardiovascular parameters of Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were examined following a 4-week diet of either Brazilian propolis or Eucommia uloides OLIVER (tochu). 2. A 4-week diet of propolis or tochu resulted in significant reductions in systolic blood pressure in SHR but had no effect on WKY. Experiments using aorta isolated from animals fed a diet of propolis or tochu revealed increased acetylcholine-induced relaxation in SHR and no change in acetylcholine-induced relaxation in WKY. Sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation was unaffected by propolis or tochu in both animal groups. 3. These results suggest that propolis and tochu produce an antihypertensive effect that may be mediated by potentiation of acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mukogawa Women's University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Umegaki
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kagota
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunitomo
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinozuka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001938:Brazil; D031283:Eucommiaceae; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011429:Propolis; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D011429:Propolis