The herbal medicines Saireito and Boiogito improve the hypertension of pre-eclamptic rats induced by Nomega-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester.
The chronic inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis with N(omega)-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) induces a pre-eclampsia-like syndrome including hypertension in pregnant rats. We tested the traditional herbal medicines Saireito (SR) and Boiogito (BO), which have been used clinically for the treatment of pre-eclampsia, in this model. L-NAME was infused subcutaneously into pregnant rats from gestational day 14 (G14). SR and BO (both at 1, 2g/kg) were administered by gavage from G14 to G20. Systolic blood pressure was measured on G19. SR and BO (both at 1, 2g/kg) inhibited L-NAME-induced hypertension. SR was effective in both pregnant and non-pregnant rats while BO was effective only in pregnant rats. BO increased blood levels of CGRP and decreased levels of endothelin-1; both are known to play important roles in regulation of blood pressure in pre-eclampsia. SR and BO may be beneficial for the treatment and prevention of hypertension in pre-eclampsia.
Takei
Hisato
H
Pharmacology Research Department, Tsumura Research Institute, Tsumura and Co., 3586 Yoshiwara, Ami-machi, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki 300-1192, Japan. takei_hisato@mail.tsumura.co.jp
Nakai
Yoichiro
Y
Hattori
Naoko
N
Yamamoto
Masahiro
M
Takeda
Shuichi
S
Yamamoto
Masako
M
Arishima
Kazuyoshi
K
D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C523704:boiogito; C080903:sairei-to; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester