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Abstract : |
The vasorelaxing activity of rotundifolone (ROT), a major constituent (63.5%) of the essential oil of Mentha x villosa, was tested in male Wistar rats (300-350 g). In isolated rat aortic rings, increasing ROT concentrations (0.3, 1, 10, 100, 300, and 500 آµg/ml) inhibited the contractile effects of 1 آµM phenylephrine and of 80 or 30 mM KCl (IC50 values, reported as means آ± SEM = 184 آ± 6, 185 آ± 3 and 188 آ± 19 آµg/ml, N = 6, respectively). In aortic rings pre-contracted with 1 آµM phenylephrine, the smooth muscle-relaxant activity of ROT was inhibited by removal of the vascular endothelium (IC50 value = 235 آ± 7 آµg/ml, N = 6). Furthermore, ROT inhibited (pD2 = 6.04, N = 6) the CaCl2-induced contraction in depolarizing medium in a concentration-dependent manner. In Ca2+-free solution, ROT inhibited 1 آµM phenylephrine-induced contraction in a concentration-dependent manner and did not modify the phasic contractile response evoked by caffeine (20 mM). In conclusion, in the present study we have shown that ROT produces an endothelium-independent vasorelaxing effect in the rat aorta. The results further indicated that in the rat aorta ROT is able to induce vasorelaxation, at least in part, by inhibiting both: a) voltage-dependent Caآ² channels, and b) intracellular Ca2+ release selectively due to inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate activation. Additional studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying ROT-induced relaxation., |
