title: The promising effect of barberry (Zereshk) extract against experimental pulmonary microvascular remodeling and hypertension: A comparison with sildenafil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the beneficial effects of barberry (Berberis integerrima Berberidaceae) on decreasing systemic hypertension, its influence has not been investigated on pulmonary hypertension.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to examine the effect of barberry fruit, on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine groups were arranged as follows: the control group, the monocrotaline (M) group, the barberry groups with doses of 50, 100, and 200 (mg/kg), the M plus barberry groups, and the M plus sildenafil group. Two weeks after a single injection of monocrotaline (60 mg/kg, s.c.), barberry water extracts or sildenafil (30 mg/kg/d) were gavaged daily for 2 weeks. At the end of the 4th week, hemodynamic, biochemical, and histopathological parameters were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with the M group, barberry (200 mg/kg) or sildenafil significantly reduced the right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) (22.95 ± 1.78 mm Hg and 30.71 ± 1.64 mm Hg, versus 41.28 ± 1.5 mm Hg), right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) (0.39 ± 0.03 and 0.42 ± 0.02, versus 0.57 ± 0.02), and the medial wall thickness (MWT) (4.56 ± 0.15 µm and 5.97 ± 0.19 µm, versus 7.02 ± 0.43 µm). Barberry or sildenafil had no significant effect on the plasma level of endothelin-1, glutathione peroxidase, and the malondialdehide of lung.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  200 mg/kg of barberry has an improving effect on the monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension. This effect was stronger than that of the sildenafil's and may have been mediated through mechanisms other than the modulation of the endothelin-1 or redox system.
authors.affiliation: a Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences , Kerman , Iran .|b Department of Physiology and Pharmacology , School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences , Kerman , Iran .
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mahdavi
authors.affiliation: a Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences , Kerman , Iran .|b Department of Physiology and Pharmacology , School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences , Kerman , Iran .
authors.forename: Siyavash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joukar
authors.affiliation: b Department of Physiology and Pharmacology , School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences , Kerman , Iran .|c Cardiovascular Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences , Kerman , Iran , and.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Najafipour
authors.affiliation: d Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences , Kerman , Iran.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asadi-Shekaari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D028142:Berberis; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D066253:Vascular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate
keywords: Berberine; endothelin-1; monocrotaline; pulmonary arterial hypertension