A Study of Glaucine-Induced Relaxation of Rat Aorta

Isabel Loza; Francisco Orallo; Ignacio Verde; José Gil-Longo; Isabel Cadavid; José M. Calleja

doi:10.1055/s-2006-959657

Planta Medica, Table of Contents

Planta Med 1993; 59(3): 229-231
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-959657

Paper

A Study of Glaucine-Induced Relaxation of Rat Aorta

Isabel Loza¹ ^, ² , Francisco Orallo¹ , Ignacio Verde¹ , José Gil-Longo¹ , Isabel Cadavid¹ , José M. Calleja¹

¹Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Santiago, E-15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
²Address for correspondence

Abstract

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Abstract

The vasorelaxant effect of glaucine, the major alkaloid of Platycapnos spicata (L.) Bernh., was studied. At concentrations of 10 µM-0.3 mM in normal Krebs solution it was almost equieffective in relaxing K⁺-induced and noradrenaline-induced tension in rat aortic rings without endothelium, with IC⁵⁰ values of 160 ± 16 µM and 90 ± 14 µM respectively. In experiments in a calcium-free medium, 10 µM glaucine strongly inhibited noradrenaline-induced contractions. Glaucine (0.3 mM) did not affect basal uptake of ⁴⁵Ca, but induced uptake was reduced to 100% (K⁺) and 97.7% (noradrenaline) of the basal value. These results suggest that glaucine has an intracellular effect and also acts on the cell membrane by blocking voltage-dependent and receptor-operated calcium channels.

Key words

Glaucine - Platycapnos spicata - relaxing-effect - ⁴⁵Ca influx - rat aorta.

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