title: Cynanchum wilfordii ameliorates hypertension and endothelial dysfunction in rats fed with high fat/cholesterol diets.
abstract: Hypercholesterolemia increases the incidence of atherosclerosis and its pathologic complications. This study was performed to test the effect of an ethanol extract of Cynanchum wilfordii (ECW) on vascular dysfunction in rats fed with high fat/cholesterol diets (HFCD). Male rats were fed a HFCD consisting of 7.5% cocoa butter and 1.25% cholesterol, with or without 100, 200 mg/day/kg ECW. Rats fed with HFCD increased body weight associated with an increase in plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level. Chronic ECW treatment in HFCD-fed rats lessened LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as elevated high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Chronic ECW treatment recovered the HFCD-induced increase in systolic blood pressure, maintained smooth and soft intima endothelial layers by the decrease of intima-media thickness. ECW significantly recovered the diet-induced decrease in vasorelaxation to acetylcholine, high-dose ECW apparently increased vasorelaxation response to sodium nitroprusside in rats fed with HFCD. ECW clearly restored the HFCD-induced reduction in endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase expression and Akt expression levels in aortic tissue, leading to improve endothelial function through an increase in endothelium-derived NO production. Furthermore, treatment of ECW significantly recovered the HFCD-induced decrease in aortic cGMP levels in rats. These findings suggest that ECW ameliorates hypertension and endothelial dysfunction via improvement of NO/cGMP signaling pathway in aortic tissue of rats fed with HFCD, suggesting a vascular protective role for this herb in the treatment and prevention of atherosclerotic vascular disease.
authors.affiliation: College of Oriental Medicine and Professional Graduate School of Oriental Medicine, Wonkwang University, Shinyong-dong, Iksan, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Deok Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yun Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Gill
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Ho Sub
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D031105:Cynanchum / Q000737:chemistry*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000819:agonists / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000819:agonists / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004041:Dietary Fats; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002784:Cholesterol; D006152:Cyclic GMP