Effects of Scirpusin B, A polyphenol in passion fruit seeds, on the coronary circulation of the isolated perfused rat heart

Abstract

Piceatannol, a polyphenol which is contained in passion fruits seed, is a derivative of resveratrol and is known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxing activities. Passion fruits seed also contains a dimer of Piceatannol, Scirpusin B. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Scirpusin B on the coronary circulation of the isolated rat heart. Methods: Hearts were isolated from male Fischer 344 rats (5 - 6 months old), and perfused with modified Krebs-Henseleit solution aerated with 95% O2 and 5% CO2 (37 °C) at constant pressure (75 cmH2O) by Langendorff's method. Piceatannol or Scirpusin B (10, 30 and 100 μM)was injected as a bolus into the aortic cannula and coronary flow (CF) was continuously measured by the electromagnetic flow meter. In some experiments, rat hearts were pretreated with L-NAME (an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase) or Diclofenac (an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase) to reveal the possible involvement of nitric oxide (NO) and vasodilating prostanoids in the effect of Scirpusin B. Results:Scirpusin B increased CF up to 108.2 % of the initial value, while Piceatannol did not increase CF. In addition;Scirpusin B increased CF concentrationdependently. Pretreatment with L-NAME or Diclofenac significantly attenuated the Scirpusin B-induced coronary vasodilatation. Scirpusin B did not change the heart rate either left ventricular pressure. Conclusion:This study shows that Scirpusin B could increase CF via production of NO and vasodilating prostanoids