title: Antihypertensive and vasorelaxant effects of water-soluble proanthocyanidins from persimmon leaf tea in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: The antihypertensive and vasorelaxant effects of water-soluble proanthocyanidins, extracted in persimmon leaf tea, were investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats, rat aortas, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Oral administration of proanthocyanidins significantly decreased the systolic blood pressure of the rats after 4 h, as compared with distilled water controls. A vasorelaxant effect on rat aortas was induced by proanthocyanidins, and it was abolished by removal of the endothelium and inhibition of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and soluble guanylyl cyclase activity. The phosphorylation levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (Ser-1177) and the upstream kinase Akt (Ser-473) in umbilical cells also increased in a time-dependent manner after the addition of a proanthocyanidin-rich fraction. These results suggest that the antihypertensive effect of proanthocyanidins in persimmon leaf tea is due to vasorelaxation via an endothelium-dependent nitric oxide/cGMP pathway, and that proanthocyanidins might be useful in dietary lowering of blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Niigata University of Pharmacy and Applied Life Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Saiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aketa
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirayama
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D029788:Diospyros / Q000737:chemistry*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D012995:Solubility; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D044945:Proanthocyanidins; D013662:Tea; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D006152:Cyclic GMP