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Vasorelaxant activities and the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of Gynura procumbens Merr. leaf extracts on rat thoracic aorta

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Abstract

Previous studies have investigated the cardiovascular activity of Gynura procumbens Merr. single-solvent extracts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro vasorelaxant properties and the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of serial extracts and fractions of Gynura procumbens (GP). The leaves of GP were serially extracted with petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water using the maceration method. Suspended aortic ring preparations were pre-contracted with phenylephrine (PE 1 µM), followed by cumulative addition of GP extracts (0.25–3 mg/mL). The petroleum ether extract (GPPE) was the most potent among the four extracts. Pre-incubation of endothelium-intact aorta with atropine (1 µM), indomethacin (10 µM), methylene blue (10 µM), propranolol (1 µM) and potassium channel blockers such as TEA (1 µM), glibenclamide (10 µM), 4-aminopyridine (1 µM) and barium chloride (10 mM) had no effect on GPPE-induced vasorelaxation. The vasorelaxant effect of GPPE was partly diminished by pretreatment of aortic rings preparations with l-NAME (10 µM) and even more so in endothelium-denuded aortic rings, indicating a minimal involvement of endothelium-dependent pathway in GPPE-induced vasorelaxation. The calcium-induced vasocontractions were antagonized significantly and concentration-dependently by GPPE in calcium free and high potassium medium. These results illustrate that Ca2+ antagonizing actions of GPPE in rat isolated aorta are comparable to that of verapamil and may be mainly responsible for its vasodilation effect. The antioxidant activity of GPPE supports its vasorelaxant effect by attenuating the production of deleterious free radicals and reactive oxygen species in the vasculature.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Malaysian Ministry of High Education (MOHE) with a grant provided to Professor Mohd Zaini Bin Asmawi (Grant no. 203/PFARMASI/6711451). We thank Mr. Roseli Hassan and Mr. Selva for their kind assistance during this study. We also acknowledge the Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPS), USM, Penang, Malaysia, for the USM fellowship award to the first author, Ref. P-FD0019/12(R).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    Zafar Iqbal, Idris Bello, Mohd Zaini Asmawi, Majed Ahmed Al-Mansoub & Yam Mun Fei

  2. Department of Physiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    Ashfaq Ahmad

  3. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA

    Ashfaq Ahmad

  4. Department of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

    Qaiser Jabeen

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  1. Zafar Iqbal
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  2. Idris Bello
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  3. Mohd Zaini Asmawi
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  4. Majed Ahmed Al-Mansoub
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Correspondence to Zafar Iqbal or Yam Mun Fei.

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Iqbal, Z., Bello, I., Asmawi, M.Z. et al. Vasorelaxant activities and the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of Gynura procumbens Merr. leaf extracts on rat thoracic aorta. Inflammopharmacol 27, 421–431 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-017-0422-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-017-0422-4

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