title: Dietary saffron reduced the blood pressure and prevented remodeling of the aorta in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of nutritional saffron (Crocus sativus L.) stigma hydroalcoholic extract on blood pressure (BP) and histology of the aorta in normotensive and hypertensive rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Saffron (200 mg/kg/day) was given orally for 5 weeks to normotensive and hypertensive rats. Hypertension was induced by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 40 mg/kg/day) administration in drinking water, and BP was measured weekly. Histological examination of the thoracic aorta included staining with hematoxylin and eosin, orcein, and periodic acid Schiff methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Saffron had no effect on normotensive rats, but on hypertensive rats, prevented BP elevation form the third week of treatment (P<0.001). Furthermore, saffron reduced the cross-section area, media thickness, and elastic lamellae number of the aorta (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nutritional saffron prevented BP increases and remodeling of the aorta in hypertensive rats. It may be useful for preventing hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Research Center and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nasiri
authors.affiliation: Neural Stem Cells Research Center and Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Sameni
authors.affiliation: Research Center and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
authors.forename: Abedin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vakili
authors.affiliation: Research Center and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jarrahi
authors.affiliation: Research Center and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahdi Zahedi
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Khorasani
keywords: Aorta; Histology; Hypertension; L-NAME; Saffron