Planta Med 2003; 69(11): 995-1000
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-45144
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Effects of the Flavonoid Quercetin and its Methylated Metabolite Isorhamnetin in Isolated Arteries from Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Manuel Ibarra1 , Laura Moreno1 , Rocío Vera2 , Angel Cogolludo1 , Juan Duarte2 , Juan Tamargo1 , Francisco Perez-Vizcaino1
  • 1Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology (CSIC), School of Medicine, University Complutense of Madrid, Spain
  • 2Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Spain
This work was supported by grants from CAM (08.04.36.2001), CICYT (SAF2002-02304, SAF2001-2953) and Danone/UCM (PR248/02-11710). A.C. and L.M. were supported by grants from CAM and MECD, respectively
Further Information

Publication History

Received: May 23, 2003

Accepted: August 2, 2003

Publication Date:
09 January 2004 (online)

Abstract

Chronic oral quercetin exerts antihypertensive effects in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In the present study, the vasodilator effects of the flavonoid quercetin and its main metabolite isorhamnetin were analysed in isolated thoracic aorta, iliac artery and on the isolated perfused mesenteric resistance vascular bed from SHR and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). In noradrenaline-precontracted vessels from SHR there was an inverse correlation between the relaxant potency (pIC50) of quercetin (4.76 ± 0.02, 5.08 ± 0.12, 5.30 ± 0.18, in aorta, iliac arteries and mesentery, respectively) and isorhamnetin (4.90 ± 0.11, 5.38 ± 0.15 and 5.80 ± 0.10, respectively) and the diameter of the vessel studied. Both flavonoids were more potent in endothelium-denuded aortae and iliac arteries from SHR than from normotensive WKY rats. In addition, in aortae from SHR both flavonoids restored the endothelial-dependent vasodilation. Isorhamnetin, but not quercetin, also reduced the endothelium-dependent contractile responses induced by acetylcholine. These direct vasodilator effects, together with the improvement of endothelial function, are good candidates to explain the blood pressure reduction and vascular protective effects of quercetin in animal models of hypertension and possibly in human cardiovascular diseases.

Abbreviations

pIC50:Negative logarithm of the drug concentration which inhibited 50 % of the contractile response

S.E.M.:Standard error fo the mean

SHR:Spontaneously hypertensive rats

WKY:Wistar Kyoto normotensive rats

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Francisco Perez-Vizcaino

Departmento Farmacología

Facultad Medicina

Universidad Complutense

28040 Madrid

Spain

Fax: +34-913-941-470

Email: fperez@med.ucm.es