title: Antihypertensive and endothelium-dependent vasodilator effects of aqueous extract of Cistus ladaniferus.
abstract: Cistus ladaniferus L. (Cistaceae) is a medicinal plant originated from the Mediterranean region which exerts different pharmacological effects. In the present study, our goal was to examine whether the plant possessed antihypertensive properties. Aqueous extract of Cistus leaves (AEC, 500mg/kg/day) reduced systemic blood pressure (SBP) in two animal models of hypertension, the l-NAME and renovascular two kidney-one clip (2K-1C) hypertensive rats. In the former, AEC prevented the increase in SBP when co-administered with l-NAME during four weeks (164+/-3mm Hg in l-NAME vs. 146+/-1mm Hg in l-NAME+AEC, p<0.001). In the latter, AEC reversed the increase in SBP when administered during four weeks after installation of the hypertension (146+/-5mm Hg with AEC vs. 179+/-6mm Hg without, p<0.05). AEC treatment also reversed the endothelial dysfunction observed in both animal models of hypertension. A direct effect on cardiac and vascular tissue was also tested by examining the contractile effects of AEC in rat isolated aortic rings and Langendorff perfused hearts. AEC (10mg/L) had no effect on left ventricular developed pressure and heart rate in isolated perfused heart. However, AEC produced a strong relaxation of pre-contracted rat aortic rings (80+/-2% relaxation, n=25). When the rings were denuded from endothelium or were incubated with 1mM Nomega-nitro-l-arginine (l-NNA), the relaxant effect of AEC was lost. We conclude that C. ladaniferus possesses antihypertensive properties which are mainly due to an endothelium-dependent vasodilatory action.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie et Ethnopharmacologie, Université Mohamed Premier, Faculté des Sciences, Oujda, Morocco.
authors.forename: Mounia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belmokhtar
authors.forename: Nour Elhouda
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Bouanani
authors.forename: Abderrahim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ziyyat
authors.forename: Hassane
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mekhfi
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bnouham
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matéo
authors.forename: Rodolphe
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischmeister
authors.forename: Abdelkhaleq
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Legssyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D029758:Cistus / Q000737:chemistry*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D014867:Water; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester