Title:Antihypertensive Activity of Prunus armeniaca in Hypertensive Rats
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Author(s): Ismail Bouadid, Mourad Akdad and Mohamed Eddouks*
Affiliation:
- Faculty of Sciences and Techniques Errachidia, Moulay Ismail University of Meknes, BP 509, Boutalamine, Errachidia,
Morocco
Keywords:
Prunus armeniaca L., hypertension, vasorelaxant, L-NAME, K+ channels, calcium channels.
Abstract: Aims: The goal of this work was to evaluate the antihypertensive activity of Prunus
armeniaca.
Background: Prunus armeniaca is known for its beneficial medicinal properties.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the aqueous extract of Prunus armeniaca L.
(P. armeniaca) leaves (PAAE) on arterial blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive rats.
Materials and Methods: In the in vivo examination, N-omega-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride(
L-NAME)-induced hypertensive and normotensive rats received PAAE (160 and 100
mg/kg) orally for the acute experiment spanning 6 hours and for seven days for the subchronic
treatment; their blood pressure parameters were also evaluated. In the in vitro experiment, isolated
intact thoracic aortic rings were precontracted with KCl (80 mM) and epinephrine (EP) (10 μM),
and vascular dilatation was assessed.
Results: PAAE lowered blood pressure parameters in L-NAME-induced hypertensive without
affecting normotensive rats following oral administration, suggesting that PAAE possesses an
antihypertensive effect. In addition, PAAE (0.25-1 mg/mL) revealed a vasorelaxant effect in thoracic
aortic rings precontracted by EP (10 μM), and this effect was especially reduced in the presence
of glibenclamide or nifedipine. However, PAAE (0.25-1 mg/mL) had only a minimal vasorelaxant
effect on thoracic aortic rings precontracted by KCl (80 mM).
Conclusion: The results demonstrate that the P. armeniaca aqueous extract possesses potent antihypertensive
and vasorelaxant activity, and its vasorelaxant activity seems to be mediated through
the opening of ATP-sensitive K+ channels and inhibition of L-type calcium channels.
