Planta Med 2020; 86(06): 395-404
DOI: 10.1055/a-1118-9341
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Microvascular Effects of Echinodorus grandiflorus on Cardiovascular Disorders

Fabiana Gomes
1   Malaria Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
,
André M. Marques
2   Natural Products Laboratory (PN3), Far-Manguinhos, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
,
Obadia Nathalie
3   Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
4   Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
,
Marcos Adriano Lessa
5   Laboratory of Cardiovascular Investigation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
,
Eduardo Tibiriçá
6   National Institute of Cardiology, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
,
Maria Raquel Figueiredo
2   Natural Products Laboratory (PN3), Far-Manguinhos, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
,
Vanessa Estato
3   Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 08 October 2019
revised 03 February 2020

accepted 12 February 2020

Publication Date:
13 March 2020 (online)

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Abstract

Echinodorus grandiflorus is a semiaquatic plant native to Brazil and belongs to the Alismataceae family. Infusion preparations of the leaves of this plant are often used due to its diuretic, blood pressure lowering, and anti-inflammatory properties. Our aim was to investigate the effects of chronic treatment with the crude hydroalcoholic extract of E. grandiflorus on central and peripheral microvascular changes induced in a model of hypertension and diabetes. The hemodynamic and microvascular effects of E. grandiflorus extract (50, 100, or 200 mg/kg/day for 28 days) or the isolated major diterpene from E. grandiflorus (3 to 10 mg/kg i. v.) were evaluated in spontaneously hypertensive rats using tail plethysmography and intravital fluorescence videomicroscopy, respectively, and were compared to vehicle-treated normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. We also investigated the protective effects of chronic treatment with E. grandiflorus (100 mg/kg/day) in brain capillary density and leukocyte-endothelium interactions on the brain vessels of DM-spontaneously (DM: diabetes mellitus) hypertensive rats. Chronically treating spontaneously hypertensive rats with increasing doses of crude hydroalcoholic E. grandiflorus extract resulted in significant dose-dependent reductions in systolic blood pressure and an anti-inflammatory effect on the brain microcirculation of DM-spontaneously hypertensive rat animals. Using laser speckle contrast imaging, we observed that intravenous administration of the major isolated clerodane diterpene metabolite (1 – 10 mg/kg) increased microvascular blood flow by 25% in spontaneously hypertensive rat skeletal muscle. The results of this study show that E. grandiflorus extracts can be useful in the prevention and reduction of microcirculatory damage in arterial hypertension and other diseases that involve microvascular dysfunction.

Supporting Information