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Published on: August 13, 2019
Gynura procumbens ethanol extract improves vascular dysfunction by suppressing inflammation in postmenopausal rats
Khuzaidatul Azidah Ahmad Nazri1, Qodriyah Haji Mohd Saad2, Norsyahida Mohd Fauzi3
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Context:
Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. (Asteraceae) has been reported to have various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory effects.
Objective:
This study sought to determine whether Gynura procumbens (GP) could improve vascular reactivity by suppressing inflammation in postmenopausal rats fed with five-times heated palm oil (5HPO) diet.
Materials And Methods:
Forty-eight female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham [non-ovariectomized; grouped as control, GP extracts (250 and 500 mg/kg), atorvastatin (ATV, 10 mg/kg)] and postmenopausal (PM) groups [ovariectomized rats fed with 5HPO; grouped as PM, GP extracts (250 and 500 mg/kg) and ATV (10 mg/kg)]. Each group (n = 6) was either supplemented with GP extract or ATV orally once daily for 6 months.
Results:
In comparison with the untreated PM group, 250 and 500 mg/kg GP supplementation to PM groups reduced the systolic blood pressure (103 ± 2.7, 86 ± 2.4 vs. 156 ± 7.83 mmHg, p < 0.05), intima-media thickness (101.28 ± 3.4, 93.91 ± 2.93 vs. 143.78 ± 3.31 µM), vasoconstriction percentage induced by phenylephrine (102.5%, 88.3%, vs. 51.8%), sICAM-1 (0.49, 0.26 vs. 0.56 pg/mL) and sVCAM-1 (0.39, 0.25 vs. 0.45 pg/mL). GP extract supplementation increased vasorelaxation percentage induced by acetylcholine (78.4% vs. 47.3%) and sodium nitroprusside (84.2% vs. 53.7%), increased changes in plasma nitric oxide level (1.25%, 1.31% vs. 1.9%), and suppressed the elevation of TNF-α (0.39 vs. 1.02 pg/mL), IL-6 (0.43 vs. 0.77 pg/mL) and CRP (0.29 vs. 0.69 ng/mL) in the PM groups.
Conclusions:
GP extract might improve vascular dysfunction by suppressing the inflammatory response, consequently preventing blood pressure elevation.
