Protective effect of essential oils from Fructus Alpiniae zerumbet on cardiac injury in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats
OBJECTIVE To explore the protective effect of essential oils from Fructus Alpiniae zerumbet(EOFAZ)on Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride(L-NAME)-induced cardiac injury in hypertensive rats.METHODS Cardiac damage of rat was induced by a continuous intragastric dose of L-NAME for 4 weeks and EOFAZ/captopril for 4 weeks.Arterial blood pressure was monitored weekly using a noninvasive blood pressure measurement system.Animal ultrasonic imaging system was employed for observing cardiac function.Pathological changes of cardiac tissue were observed by HE stain.The cardiac levels of malondialdehyde(MDA),SOD and NO were measured by colorimetry.The expressions of eNOS and iNOS in rat heart were detected by immunohistochemical assay.Westem blot was utilized for detecting oxidative stress-related proteins Nrf2,HO-1 and Prdx-1,inflammation-related proteins TNF-α and IL-1β,cardiac hypertrophy-associated proteins ANP and BNP,as well as eNOS and iNOS protein expression in rat hearts.RESULTS EOF AZ significantly reduced blood pressure,ameliorated cardiac structural abnormalities and dysfunction,decreased MDA and NO levels,increased SOD activity,down-regulated the expression of ANP,BNP,TNF-α,IL-1β and iNOS,as well as up-regulated the expression of Nrf2,HO-1,Prdx-1 and eNOS in hyperten-sive rats(P<0.05,P<0.01).CONCLUSION EOF AZ could ameliorate cardiac injury in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats,the mechanism maybe involve in inhibiting inflammation and regulating oxidative stress,as well as the promotion of increased NO bioavailability.
essential oils from Fructus Alpiniae zerumbetrat model of hypertensioncardiac injuryinflammationoxidative stress