title: Effects of proanthocyanidin enriched extract from Ligaria cuneifolia on plasma cholesterol and hemorheological parameters. In vivo and In vitro studies.
abstract: It was demonstrated that Ligaria cuneifolia (Lc) crude extract increased blood viscosity and decreased plasma cholesterol in rats. In the present study, we analyzed the Lc proanthocyanidin enriched fraction (PLc) to determine if it is capable of altering the hemorheological parameters while diminishing the plasma cholesterol. In vivo studies in adult male Wistar rats, randomized in three groups (n = 6 each one) were performed: 1.
  
  
  METHODS
  saline intraperitoneal (i.p.); 2. PLc 0.6 mg/100 g body weight (b.w.) i.p. and 3. PLc 3 mg/100 g b.w. i.p., every 24 hours during 3 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  with blood obtained by cardiac puncture, separated in aliquots and incubated with: 1. Saline solution (Control); 2. PLc 0.1 mg/mL, and 3. PLc 1.0 mg/mL, equivalent to doses in vivo experiments. The results demonstrated that in vivo PLc 0.6 and PLc 3 reduced plasma cholesterol (Cho) and LDL-Cho. Neither blood nor plasma viscosity was altered. Decrease of plasma cholesterol could be due to an increase of cholesterol and bile salts excretion leading to an increase of bile flow. In vitro experiments showed a direct interaction of PLc, at high concentration, with the erythrocyte membrane, inducing a switch from discocyte to stomatocyte. Only, PLc without hepatic metabolism produces hemorheological changes. Thus, PLc in vivo might be a pharmacological agent capable of decreasing plasma cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dominighini
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crosetti
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE)-CONICET, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ronco
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzálvez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Leda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Urli
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Farmacobotánica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Farmacobotánica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gurni
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Instituto de Fisiología Experimental (IFISE)-CONICET, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Cristina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Carnovale
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luquita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001809:Blood Viscosity / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D018056:Hemorheology / Q000187:drug effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D028183:Loranthaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D044945:Proanthocyanidins; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D044945:Proanthocyanidins; C013221:proanthocyanidin; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Ligaria cuneifolia; biliary excretion; blood viscosity; erythrocyte deformability; plasma cholesterol; proanthocyanidin