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Planta Med 1997; 63(2): 130-132
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-957628
Papers
Pharmacology and Molecular Biology
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Endothelium-Dependent Higenamine-Induced Aortic Relaxation in Isolated Rat Aorta

Kai Kong Wong1 , Chi Fang Lo2 , Chi Ming Chen3
  • 1Department of Pharmacology, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
  • 2National Laboratories of Food and Drugs, Department of Health, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
  • 3Graduate Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Taipei Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
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Publication History

1996

1996

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

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Abstract

The pharmacological action of higenamine in isolated rat aorta was investigated. Although the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (1 × 10-5M) completely blocked the beta-adrenoceptor agonist higenamine in inducing a positive chronotropic activity in isolated mouse atria, the higenamine-induced aortic relaxation was not completely antagonized by this concentration of propranolol. The present data also demonstrate that the higenamine-induced aortic relaxation was attenauted in the absence of endothelium. These findings suggest that the beta-adrenoceptor specificity to higenamine in aorta is different from that of beta-1 in atria; moreover, the beta-adrenoceptors sensitive to higenamine are mainly located in the endothelial layer.

key words

Aconitum japonicum - Ranunculaceae - benzyl-isoquinoline alkaloid - higenamine - aortic relaxation - beta-adrenoceptor - endothelium - propranolol