title: Cardiovascular effects of Boophone disticha aqueous ethanolic extract on early maternally separated BALB/C mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are a number of reports from traditional medical practice in Zimbabwe and neighboring countries and few in vitro studies suggesting an effect with extracts of Boophone disticha in some forms of anxiety disorder.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In order to validate the use of Boophone disticha in treatment of anxiety, this study was set to determine the effects of the plant extracts on blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) in adult BALB/c mice subjected to repeated early maternal separation (MS) stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  To test whether early life stress increases anxiety in mice, non-invasive tail cuff method was used to examine the autonomic nervous system activity by assessing cardiovascular reactivity and response to acute mixing stress (AMS) and restraint stress (RS) in adult mice subjected to early postnatal stress as compared to control. AMS-induced cardiovascular response was then evaluated in adult MS mice treated with Boophone disticha as compared to vehicle and diazepam.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparisons of the BP and HR measurements indicated that MS significantly reduced AMS-induced HR responses in BALB/c mice when compared with control. Boophone disticha treatment significantly reduced AMS-induced BP response in BALB/c MS mice as compared to vehicle and diazepam treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings demonstrate for the first time that postnatal stress can induce short-term changes in the sensitivity of the cardiovascular system to subsequent stress which can be reduced by treatment with a freeze dried aqueous ethanolic extract of Boophone disticha.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preclinical Veterinary Studies, University of Zimbabwe, P O Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe. w.pote@yahoo.com
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pote
authors.forename: Dexter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tagwireyi
authors.forename: Herbert M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chinyanga
authors.forename: Collin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Musara
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nyandoro
authors.forename: Jephat
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chifamba
authors.forename: Pilani
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nkomozepi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects*; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D019668:Liliaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D015030:Zimbabwe
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D014867:Water; D000431:Ethanol