Pharmacological evidence of α2-adrenergic receptors in the hypotensive effect of Platonia insignis mart.

Platonia insignis Mart. (Clusiaceae) is a medicinal plant from the Brazilian Amazon region. The present study evaluated the biological potential of the ethanol extract (Pi-EtOH) and ethyl acetate fraction (Pi-EtOAc) of the P.

Antihypertensive and vasorelaxant effects of ethanol extract of stem barks from Zanthoxylum rhoifolium Lam. in rats.

Administration of ethanol extract of stem bark from Z. rhoifolium (EEtOH-ZR) induced hypotension associated with a dual effect in heart rate in normotensive rats. This response was highlighted in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

Investigation of mechanisms involved in (-)-borneol-induced vasorelaxant response on rat thoracic aorta.

The monoterpene (-)-borneol is present in essential oils of several medicinal plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate (-)-borneol effects on rat thoracic aorta artery rings. The cumulative addition of (-)-borneol (10(-9) -3 × 10(-4)  M) on a phenylephrine-induced pre-contraction (10(-6)  M) promoted a vasorelaxant effect in a concentration-dependent manner and independent of vascular endothelium.

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide contributes to the vasorelaxant response induced by mesoionic 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-methyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1;3-thiazolium-5-thyolate (CMMTT) in rats.

This study was performed to investigate the mechanisms involved in the vasorelaxation induced by mesoionic 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-methyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1;3-thiazolium-5-thyolate (CMMTT), a newly synthesized mesoionic compound, in rat superior mesenteric arteries. In phenylephrine (10 microM)-pre-contracted mesenteric rings, CMMTT (10(-14) - 10(-6) M) induced a concentration-dependent relaxation [pD(2) = 10.26 +/- 0.