title: The Restorative Effects of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver Leaf Extract on Vascular Function in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.
abstract: Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. leaf is a traditional Chinese antihypertensive and antidiabetic medicine. We examined the effects of chronic Eucommia leaf extract (ELE) administration on artery function and morphology in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). ELE was orally administered via normal diet ad libitum to six-week-old male SHRs at a concentration of 5% for seven weeks. Acetylcholine (ACh)-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation, sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced endothelium-independent relaxation, plasma nitric oxide (NO) levels, and media thickness were assessed. ELE significantly improved ACh-induced aortic endothelium-dependent relaxation but did not affect SNP-induced endothelium-independent relaxation in the SHRs, as compared to the animals receiving normal diet. Plasma NO levels and media thickness were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in the ELE-treated SHRs. Therefore, long-term ELE administration may effectively improve vascular function by increasing plasma NO levels and bioavailability, and by preventing vascular hypertrophy in the SHR aorta.
authors.affiliation: R &amp; D Center, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 1-30-3, Toyokawa, Ibaraki, Osaka 657-0057, Japan. s.hosoo@kobayashi.co.jp.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hosoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304, Minamiminowa, Nagano 399-4598, Japan. mkoyama32@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304, Minamiminowa, Nagano 399-4598, Japan. 15aa310g@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: R &amp; D Center, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 1-30-3, Toyokawa, Ibaraki, Osaka 657-0057, Japan. t.hirata@kobayashi.co.jp.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.affiliation: R &amp; D Center, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 1-30-3, Toyokawa, Ibaraki, Osaka 657-0057, Japan. y.yamaguchi@kobayashi.co.jp.
authors.forename: Yasuyo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: R &amp; D Center, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 1-30-3, Toyokawa, Ibaraki, Osaka 657-0057, Japan. h.yamasaki@kobayashi.co.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.affiliation: R &amp; D Center, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 1-30-3, Toyokawa, Ibaraki, Osaka 657-0057, Japan. a.wada@kobayashi.co.jp.
authors.forename: Atsunori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Tobetsu-cho, Ishikari, Hokkaido 061-0293, Japan. wadakg@hoku-iryo-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Tobetsu-cho, Ishikari, Hokkaido 061-0293, Japan. nishibe@hoku-iryo-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Sansei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishibe
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304, Minamiminowa, Nagano 399-4598, Japan. knakamu@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D031283:Eucommiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D010208:Papaverine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D010656:Phenylephrine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010208:Papaverine
keywords: ACh-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation; Eucommia leaf extract; aortic media thickness; nitric oxide; spontaneously hypertensive rat