title: The effect of Zizyphus spina-christi leaf extract on the isolated rat aorta.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of Zizyphus spina christi leaf hydroalcoholic extract (ZLHE) on the isolated rat aorta.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rings of the endothelium intact and denuded thoracic aorta of Male and female Sprague Dawley rats were placed in Krebs-Henseleit solution to measure isometric contractile force. To study the involvement of voltage dependent L type calcium channels, concentration of 10 ?M verapamil was applied. Potassium chloride (50 mM) was also added to the organ bath to compare the effect of extract and KCl. Potassium concentration of the extract at 2.5 and 5 mg/ml was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ZLHE induced contraction in the endothelium intact and denuded aorta dose dependently and significantly (P < 0.0001). Also, the response to extract at 5 mg/ml was similar to that of KCl (50 mM). The application of verapamil reduced the contraction in the endothelium intact and denuded aorta by 66.7 +/- 3.1% (mean +/- SEM.) and 71.6 +/- 3.8% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed the vasoconstrictive effect of ZLHE which was not endothelium-dependent and largely blocked by verapamil, suggesting that the voltage-dependent Calcium channels play a pivotal role in the mechanism of action.
authors.affiliation: Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah.
authors.forename: Aliashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Godini
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kazem
authors.forename: Gharib
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Naseri
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Badavi
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology; D031957:Ziziphus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D014700:Verapamil