• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.243-249
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• 2004

KBPT is the fortified prescription of Bang-pung-tong-sung-san(BPTS) by adding Spatholobi Clulis and Salviae Miltiorrzae Radix. BPTS prescription has been utilized in oriental medicine for the treatments of vascular diseases including hypertension, stroke, and arteriosclerosis. Yet, the overall mechanism underlying its activity at the cellular levels remains unknown. Using spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model, we investigated whether the KBPTS has an effect on the pathophysiological parameters related to hypertension. Pretreatment of SHR with KBPTS was found to lower blood pressure and heartbeat rate. Levels of aldosterone. dopamine, and epinephrine were found to be significantly reduced in the serum of KBPTS-treated SHR. Histological examination of adrenal cortex and superior aorta showed that tissues from KBPTS-treated SHR rats were more intact and cleaner compared to saline-treated control. Levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) protein in adrenal gland, aorta, myocardial tissue, and kidneys were higher in KBPTS-treated animals than control group. The present data suggest that KBPTS may play a role in normalizing cardiovascular function in SHR by controlling hypertension-related blood factors and superoxide stressors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.535-543
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of brown rice and brown rice phytosterol on blood pressure and lipid levels in spontaneously hypertension rats (SHR). SHR were grouped according to blood pressure and fed either a control diet or experimental diets containing 50% brown rice powder or 5% brown rice phytosterol for 3 weeks. Body weight gain and epididymal fat weight were significantly reduced in the brown rice powder and brown rice phytosterol groups compared to control. Brown rice and brown rice phytosterol diets suppressed age-dependent increases in systolic blood pressure compared to control. In addition, brown rice and brown rice phytosterol diets decreased total lipid, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels in the liver, whereas serum HDL cholesterol increased. Lastly, brown rice phytosterol reduced TBARS contents in the kidney. These results suggest that brown rice and brown rice phytosterol exert antihypertensive effects that improve lipid metabolism in SHR.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.305-310
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• 2000

The present study examined the effect of a methanol extract of Evodiae Fructus on the blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The systolic blood pressure was measured after rats were pretreated with phentolamine, propranolol, or $N_{\omega}$-nitro-$_{L}$-arginine methyl ester(NAME) and subsequently received methanol extract of Evodiae Fructus. In SHR, intraperitoneal administration of methanol extract of Evodiae Fructus (0.5 mg/kg) produced antihypertensive effect that lasted for at least 4 hours. Antihypertensive effect of Evodiae Fructus was more stronger than that with $\alpha$-adrenergic receptor antagonist phentolamine and was not affected by $\beta$-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol. The antihypertensive effect of Evodiae Fructus was abolished by pretreatment of NAME. Our findings suggest Evodiae Fructus has an hypertensive effect, which may be mediated through nitric oxide synthesis.s.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.385-392
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• 1997

The phospholipase C (PLC)-mediated intracellular signal transduction pathway is considered to be involved in the regulation of blood pressure. However, little information is available concerning the distributional and functional significance of PLC in the genetic hypertensive rats. As the first step of knowing the role of PLC on hypertension, we investigated the distribution of 6 PLC isozymes $(PLC-{\beta}1,\;-{\beta}3,\;-{\beta}4,\;-{\gamma}1,\;-{\gamma}2\;and\;-{\delta}1)$ in the heart and brain, which are concerned with hypertension, in the normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rat (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) using the western blotting and immunocytochemistry. The immunoreactivities of PLC isozymes in brain were detected, but there were no distributional and quantitative differences between the WKY and SHR. In the heart, but the immunoreactivities to $PLC-{\beta}1$ and $-{\gamma}2$ in the SHR were higher than those in WKY. In immunocytochemistry to confirm these western blotting data, $PLC-{\beta}1$ and $-{\gamma}2$ were localized in cardiac myocytes and the intensities of immunoreactivity in SHR were stronger than that in WKY. These results suggest that $PLC-{\beta}1$ and $-{\gamma}2$ would have possibility to concern with the establishment of spontaneous hypertension.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.315-321
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• 2012

We tested the effects of dietary intake of freeze-dried Korean traditional fermented cabbage (generally known as kimchi) with varying amounts of sodium on blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), as a control group, received a regular AIN-76 diet, and the SHRs were divided into four groups. The SHR group was fed a regular diet without kimchi supplementation, the SHR-L group was fed the regular diet supplemented with low sodium kimchi containing 1.4% salt by wet weight, which was provided in a freeze-dried form, the SHR-M group was supplemented with medium levels of sodium kimchi containing 2.4% salt, and the SHR-H group was supplemented with high sodium kimchi containing 3.0% salt. Blood pressure was measured over 6 weeks, and cardiac hypertrophy was examined by measuring heart and left ventricle weights and cardiac histology. SHRs showed higher blood pressure compared to that in WKY rats, which was further elevated by consuming high sodium containing kimchi but was not influenced by supplementing with low sodium kimchi. None of the SHR groups showed significant differences in cardiac and left ventricular mass or cardiomyocyte size. Levels of serum biochemical parameters, including blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, sodium, and potassium were not different among the groups. Elevations in serum levels of aldosterone in SHR rats decreased in the low sodium kimchi group. These results suggest that consuming low sodium kimchi may not adversely affect blood pressure and cardiac function even under a hypertensive condition.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.561-569
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• 2010

The study aim was to investigate the antihypertensive effect after oral supplementation of dried radish leaves powder (DRLP). Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was measured by spectrophotometric assay. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive rats (Wistar) by the tail cuff method after a 4-week diet with DRLP at the level of 2.5% or 5%. The supplementation of DRLP decreased SBP of SHR although the 5% supplementation level did not show any more pronounced effect than the 2.5% level did. The decrease in the SBP observed for both 2.5% and 5% DRLP was accompanied by significant increases of the urinary Na and K excretion. The DRLP supplementation showed a potent ACE-inhibitory activity in pulmonary tissue from both hypertensive and normotensive rats. However, the DRLP supplementation did not affect the SBP in normotensive rats. These results indicated that DRLP exerted an antihypertensive effect in SHR due to the decreased ACE activity and increased urinary Na excretion.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.840-847
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• 2002

This study explored the effect of dietary levels of Na and Ca on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). SHR were randomly divided into 5 groups and fed a high fat/cholesterol diet containing three levels of Na (0.05, 0.1, 1.5%) and Ca (0.1, 0.5, 1.5%) for 9 weeks. Body weight gain was not influenced by dietary intake but water intake significantly increased in high Na supplementation. Systolic blood pressure was not influenced by dietary Na and Ca levels but was decreased by dietary low Na/high Ca levels at 9 weeks. Angiotensin-II level was affected by dietary Na level but not by Ca levels. Plasma Ca, Mg, K and Na levels were in the normal range regardless of dietary Na and Ca levels. Weight, and K and Na contents of the heart and kidney were not significantly different among those with different dietary Na and Ca levels. Ca and Mg contents of the heart and kidney were significantly higher in the normal Na/normal Ca group. Ca and Mg in the feces were higher in those with high Ca intake. Na in the feces was higher in those with high Na intake. Therefore, Na and Ca had different mechanisms in the hypertension/hyperlipidemia models, respectively. And we suggested that Mg must be supplemented when Ca intake was high because Mg excretion was increased by Ca supplementation.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.2 s.30
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• pp.433-446
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• 1995

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of water extract and 70% ethanol extract from Gastrodiae Rhizoma on cardiovascular activities and plasma levels of catecholamines in unanaesthetized spontaneously hypertensive rats. The depressor response in SHR was observed during three to six hour period after an oral administration of water extract from Gastrodiae Rhizoma(GR). There was a statistically significant correlation between the magnitude of the depressor response induced by an oral administration of water extract from GR and the initial control blood pressure level. The increase in blood pressure induced by norepinephrine was less in Wistar rat treated with GR water extract than those without GR extract. No significant change in heart rate was observed in SHR receiving either water extract or ethanol extract from GR. Associated with the depressor response, there was a concomitant reduction in plasma levels of norepinephrine in SHR at 4 hour after an oral administration of water extract from GR. Plasma levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine were decreased slightly at 2 hour after an oral administration of ethanol extract from GR. These results suggest that the depressor effect of water extract from GR may be due, in part, to a decreased sympathoadrenal activity.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 2013

Objective: The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect and the mechanism of Geumgoeshingi-whan (GGSGW) Pharmacopuncture at the acupoint GV 4 on the blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Methods: SHR were injected with normal saline solution (Control-SHR group)or GGSGW Pharmacopuncture (GGSGW-SHR group) at the acupoint GV 4. The systolic arterial blood pressure and renal parameters were measured for two weeks. Results: The systolic arterial blood pressure was decreased significantly after GGSGW Pharmacopuncture at the acupoint GV 4 in SHR, followed by a significant rise in creatine clearance. The plasma levels of aldosterone were decreased significantly after GGSGW Pharmacopunctureas were the plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). Conclusion: These results suggest that the blood pressure was decreased significantly after GGSGW Pharmacopuncture at the acupoint GV 4 in SHR and that the depressor response of the blood pressure was related to decreases in the plasma levels of aldosterone and ANP.

• Integrative Medicine Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.223-223
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• 2016

Background: Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng) has been shown to exert antihypertensive effects. In particular, ginsenoside Rg3 is thought to be a potent modulator of vascular function. The present study was performed to examine the antihypertensive efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) extract and Rg3-enriched KRG (REKRG) extract. Methods: Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) andWistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs) were divided into six groups (WKY control, WKY-KRG, WKY-REKRG, SHR control, SHR-KRG, and SHRREKRG), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured at the carotid artery, followed by injection of 3mg/kg KRG or 3mg/kg REKRG. Results: REKRG treatment significantly decreased SBP and DBP 3hours post-treatment in the SHR group compared with SHR control group. However, SBP and DBP were not significantly different in KRG-treated SHRs compared with control SHRs. REKRG treatment did not significantly alter SBP or DBP 3hours post-treatment in the WKY group compared with WKY control group. Similarly, there were no differences in SBP or DBP with KRG treatment in the WKY group and WKY control group. Both KRG and REKRG increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation levels in the aorta, and the increases in endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation levels by REKRG treatment were higher than those with KRG treatment. Similarly, nitric oxide production in plasma from WKYs and SHRs was also increased by both KRG and REKRG. Conclusion: These results suggest that REKRG has a more beneficial effect on blood pressure control than KRG in SHRs.