BACKGROUND Syzygium campanulatum Korth (Myrtaceae) is an evergreen shrub rich in phenolics, flavonoid antioxidants, and betulinic acid. This study sought to investigate antiangiogenic and anti-colon cancer effects of S.C. standardized methanolic extract. METHODS Betulinic acid was isolated from methanolic extract by crystallization and chromatography techniques. S.C. methanolic extract was an...

The present study investigated the effect of one bout of moderate-intensity exercise on the adrenergic receptor-dependent and -independent vasoconstrictor response in rat aortas, and the role of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability on these vasomotor responses. One group of rats was submitted to a 60 min of exercise at approximately 60% of maximal exercise capacity on a treadmill (exercise group) ...

Angiogenesis is a crucial step in the growth of cancer and its metastasis. It is regulated by several endogenous factors which may stimulate or inhibit the new blood vessel growth. Besides these endogenous factors, several exogenous factors including some natural compounds are known to modulate angiogenesis. Angiogenesis being a potential target for drugs against a number of pathological condit...

OBJECTIVES In this study, the role of rho-kinase activity in the modulation of vascular contractility induced by hemin, a heme oxygenase inducer, was investigated. METHODS Aortic rings from Wistar rats were incubated in physiological saline solution (PSS) containing hemin at 10-(4) M for six hours then contracted with phenylephrine, and a dose-response curve was established. The effect of Y-2...

Farrerol, isolated from Rhododendron dauricum L., has been proven to be an important multifunctional physiologically active component, but its vasoactive mechanism is not clear. The present study was performed to observe the vasoactive effects of farrerol on rat aorta and to investigate the possible underlying mechanisms. Isolated aortic rings of rat were mounted in an organ bath system and the...

Arginase, expressed in endothelial cells and upregulated in aging blood vessels, competes with NO synthase (NOS) for l-arginine, thus modulating vasoreactivity and attenuating NO signaling. Moreover, arginase inhibition restores endothelial NOS signaling and l-arginine responsiveness in old rat aorta. The arginase isoform responsible for modulating NOS, however, remains unknown. Because isoform...

objective(s): angiotensin ⅱ type 1 receptor blockers (arbs) represent one of the widely used antihypertensive agents. in addition to anti-hypertension effect, some arbs also show other molecular effects such as activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ and so on. here we studied the effects of telmisartan on the rat isolated mesenteric artery rings pre-contracted by phenylephrine ...

One of the primary cardiovascular adjustments to hyperthermia is a sympathetically mediated increase in vascular resistance in the viscera. Nonneural factors such as a change in vascular tone or reactivity may also contribute to this response. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether vascular smooth muscle tone is altered during heating to physiologically relevant temperatures ...

The present study investigated the role of ROS (reactive oxygen species) and COX (cyclo-oxygenase) in ethanol-induced contraction and elevation of [Ca2+]i (intracellular [Ca2+]). Vascular reactivity experiments, using standard muscle bath procedures, showed that ethanol (1-800 mmol/l) induced contraction in endothelium-intact (EC50: 306+/-34 mmol/l) and endothelium -denuded (EC50: 180+/-40 mmol...

Sericin-derived oligopeptides obtained from silk cocoons were investigated for the in vivo hypotensive effect and investigated for the underlying mechanism involved in vasodilation in isolated rat thoracic aorta. In normotensive anesthetized rats, oligopeptides induced an immediate and transient hypotensive activity. In rat aortic rings, oligopeptides induced a concentration-dependent vasorelax...