title: Mechanism of vasorelaxant activity of a fraction of root extract of Sesamum indicum Linn.
abstract: The petroleum ether soluble fraction (SIPE) of the root extract of S. indicum was evaluated for the vasorelaxant activity using isolated rat aorta. SIPE up to 180 microg/ml concentration significantly inhibited phenylephrine- and KCl-induced contraction to the extent of 98.13 +/- 6.37 and 70.19 +/- 3.43% respectively in isolated rat aorta in a concentration dependent manner. The vasorelaxant activity was not blocked by propranolol (10 microM), atropine (1 microM) indomethacin (10 microM) and glibenclamide (10 microM). Influence of SIPE on phenylephrine-induced contractions in aortic preparations in absence of functional endothelium and on pre-incubating the tissue with L-NAME (300 microM) or methylene blue (10 microM) was also studied. SIPE at 180 microg/ml concentration could elicit partial relaxation in presence of L-NAME or methylene blue to the extent of 34.26 +/- 6.13 and 25.66 +/- 10.95% respectively. However, in absence of functional endothelium, SIPE exhibited little relaxation to the extent of 6.70 +/- 4.87%. These studies revealed that the vasorelaxant activity of SIPE was chiefly mediated through endothelium-dependent pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, The Bombay College of Pharmacy, Sunder Nagar, Kalina, Santacruz (East), Mumabi 400 098, India. spcology@gmail.com
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suresh Kumar
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Saraf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots; D051381:Rats; D031685:Sesamum; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D014665:Vasodilator Agents