Abstract
We investigated the effects of long-term administration of black cohosh extract (BcEx) on serum lipid profiles and vasomotor responses in ovariectomized (OVX) rats and compared them with those of rats administered 17β-estradiol (E2) or raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator. Vehicle (OVX- or sham-control), BcEx (0.5 or 3.0 mg/kg/day), E2 (0.5 mg/kg/day), or raloxifene (2.5 mg/kg/day) were injected subcutaneously for 5 weeks, and serum lipid profiles and vasomotor responses were measured at the end of the treatment. BcEx lowered total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, but did not affect high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or triglyceride (TG) levels. Raloxifene showed a similar effect to that of BcEx, while E2 attenuated the increase in TC and LDL-C levels and significantly increased TG levels. The vascular relaxation induced by carbachol increased significantly in norepinephrine-precontracted aortic rings isolated from BcEx-, E2-, or raloxifene-treated rats. No change in uterine weight was observed in the BcEx-treated group. The raloxifene-treated group showed a similar trend as that of the BcEx-treated group, but E2 significantly increased uterine weight. These results suggest that long-term administration of BcEx behaves similar to the selective estrogen receptor modulator raloxifene.
Highlights
Estrogen deficiency after menopause causes numerous changes in estrogen-receptive tissues, such as the brain, bones, and the cardiovascular system [1]
This study investigated the effects of black cohosh extract (BcEx) on serum lipid profiles and vasomotor responses to carbachol in isolated aortic rings from OVX rats precontracted with norepinephrine (NE)
The uterine weight of the OVX subgroup decreased significantly in the BcEx and RLX treatment groups compared with the sham-control group, but the E2-treated rats did not differ (Figure 2)
Summary
Estrogen deficiency after menopause causes numerous changes in estrogen-receptive tissues, such as the brain, bones, and the cardiovascular system [1]. Estrogens are believed to be important in preventing cardiovascular diseases [2]; hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been used to alleviate postmenopausal symptoms and prevent associated diseases [3]. Because of the controversy over the adverse effects and risks of HRT, alternative and complementary medicines are used commonly. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), which function as either estrogen receptor agonists or antagonists, have become popular as alternatives to HRT [4]. SERMs have beneficial estrogenic effects on the cardiovascular system [5]. Cardioprotective effects of SERMs, including hypolipidemic and vasorelaxant effects, have been reported [6,7]
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