Abstract
Ligusticum jeholense has been used as the traditional medicine ‘Go-Bon’ (Chinese name, Gao-ben) in China and Korea. Considering the increased use of medicinal herbs to treat hypertension, in this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms of the vasorelaxation effect caused by L. jeholense. We tested the methanol (MeOH) extract of L. jeholense root and rhizoma for vasorelaxant effects; while using an isolated organ-chamber technique, L. jeholense extract (LJE) induced relaxation in the rat aortic rings by stimulating vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. LJE showed concentration-dependent relaxant effects on endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded aortic rings pre-contracted with both phenylephrine (PE) and potassium chloride (KCl) in Krebs-Henseleit (KH) buffer. The vasorelaxant effect of LJE was partly attenuated by pre-treatment with glibenclamide or 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) as K+ channel blockers. Moreover, LJE showed concentration-dependent inhibition of vasoconstriction by Ca2+ supplementation in the aortic rings that were pre-contracted with PE or KCl in Ca2+-free KH buffer. In addition, a combination of LJE and nifedipine, pre-incubated further, decreased PE-induced contractions. The results suggested that LJE-induced vasorelaxation were related to blocking K+ channels and inhibiting entry of extracellular Ca2+ via receptor-operative Ca2+ channels (ROCCs) or voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs).
Highlights
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major determinant of mortality caused by cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and stroke
We investigated the concentration-dependent vasorelaxant effects of L. jeholense extract (LJE) (30–500 μg/mL) on endothelium-intact aortic rings pre-contracted with PE (1 μM) or KCl (60 mM) in standard
The vasorelaxant effect of LJE was calculated as a percentage of the relaxation in response to PE and KCl on the aortic rings
Summary
Hypertension, is a major determinant of mortality caused by cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and stroke. Considering the increased use of medicinal herbs to treat hypertension, in this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms of the vasorelaxation effect caused by L. jeholense. We found that the methanol (MeOH) extract of L. jeholense root and rhizoma (LJE) has vasorelaxant effects; while using an isolated organ-chamber technique, LJE induced relaxation in the rat aortic rings by stimulating vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate the vasorelaxation mechanisms of L. jeholense in Korea
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
