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2007-9-3 23:22:47 |
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A compound found in Danshen, a Chinese herb commonly used in Oriental medicine to promote blood flow and treat cardiovascular disease, is indeed effective in lowering blood pressure or relieving hypertension, a new study has found. Hypertension or blood pressure higher than the normal range ¨Clower than 120/80 mmHg can lead to heart attack, stroke, or kidney disease if left untreated. The condition affects about 50 million Americans. Both a healthy lifestyle and intervention of medications may help relieve the condition. The current study was meant to investigate the pharmacologic effect of tanshinone IIA from Danshen on blood pressure in animals. Also researchers wanted to know how the compound works. For the study, David D Kim from UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and colleagues applied the so called 2-kidney-1-clip protocol to induce renal hypertension in hamsters. Tanshinone IIA significantly reduced blood pressure in the hamsters. Treatment with 50 µg tanshinone IIA/100g body for two weeks reduced the mean arterial pressure from 161.2 to 130.0 mmHg. The topical application of tanshinone caused significant dose-related vasodilation. When tanshinone IIA was applied at 1 µg /ml and 5 µg /ml, the arteriolar diameter in the hamster cheek porch increased by 25 percent and 57 percent, respectively. Correspondingly, the periarteriolar nitric oxide level increased from 87.1 nM to 146.9 nM in hamster cheek pouch. The researchers conclude that endothelial nitric oxide synthase stimulation is one mechanism by which tanshinone induces vasodilatation and reduces blood pressure. The study appears in the American Journal of Physiology ¨C Heart and Circulatory Physiology (December 15, 2006). |
