Antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects of the Lagenaria siceraria fruit in N^G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) induced hypertensive rats

Figures & data

Table 1.  Effect of LS on serum biochemical parameters in rats after L-NAME induced hypertension.

	CK-MB (IU/L)	LDH (U/L)	AST (U/L)	ALT (U/L)	CHOL (mg/dL)	TG (mg/dL)
Control	466.3 ± 74.73	1457 ± 269.5	191.2 ± 8.792	105.0 ± 14.76	41.26 ± 7.092	41.03 ± 1.950
L-NAME (40 mg/kg)	708.3 ± 118.2	1958 ± 162.1	246.0 ± 12.89	141.8 ± 11.46	130.7 ± 18.56**	56.33 ± 5.697
LS (500 mg/kg, p.o.) + L-NAME (40 mg/kg)	642.8 ± 45.99	1,908 ± 115.7	194.5 ± 2.907	86.67 ± 4.287	69.18 ± 8.403*	41.07 ± 3.284
l-arginine (100 mg/kg, p.o.) + L-NAME (40 mg/kg)	561.2 ± 110.4	1,554 ± 208.7	211.0 ± 21.60	141.3 ± 12.51	85.41 ± 18.37	49.12 ± 3.681

Values are expressed as mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA followed post hoc Bonferroni tests.

CK-MB, creatine phosphokinase-MB isoenzyme; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; AST, aspartate transaminase; ALT, alanine transaminase; CHOL, total cholesterol; TG, triglycerides; LS, Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.; L-NAME, N^G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester.

*p < 0.05 compared to L-NAME (40 mg/kg).

**p < 0.01 considered as significant comparism between control and L-NAME (40 mg/kg).

Table 2.  Effect of L-NAME on non-invasive blood pressure (Tail-cuff method) during 28 days treatment of LS (500 mg/kg).

Groups	Systolic blood pressure mmHg
	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4
Control	116.3 ± 1.38	118.2 ± 1.44	118.2 ± 1.44	118.2 ± 1.44
L-NAME (40 mg/kg)	118.3 ± 1.054	134.5 ± 2.74^***	144 ± 2.59^***	162.7 ± 2.23^***
LS (500 mg / kg p.o.) + L-NAME (40 mg/kg)	118.5 ± 1.85	126.2 ± 4.20	134 ± 4.79^#	130.3 ± 1.38^##
l-arginine (100mg/kg, p.o.) + L-NAME (40 mg/kg)	119.2 ± 1.42	134.3 ± 5.87	131 ± 2.17^##	122.7 ± 1.45^##

Values are expressed as mean ± SEM. One-way ANOVA followed post hoc Bonferroni tests.

LS, Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.; L-NAME, N^G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester.

***p < 0.001 considered as significant comparison between control and L-NAME (40 mg/kg).

^#p < 0.05 compared to L-NAME (40 mg/kg).

^##p < 0.001 compared to L-NAME (40 mg/kg).

Table 3.  Effect of L-NAME alone and with LS and l-arginine on heamodynamic parameters recovered by invasive method in rats treated for 4 weeks.

	SBP (mmHg)	DBP (mmHg)	MABP (mmHg)	BPM
Control	123.3 ± 1.25	92.67 ± 2.72	118.2 ± 2.35	308.8 ± 7.16
L-NAME (40 mg/kg, p.o.)	167.2 ± 0.85^***	144.6 ± 0.81^***	151.9 ± 0.74^***	396.1 ± 5.38^***
LS (500 mg/kg, p.o.) + L-NAME (40 mg/kg)	146.1 ± 3.35^##	124.3 ± 2.30^##	131.9 ± 1.03^##	356.5 ± 2.27^##
l-arginine (100 mg/kg, p.o.) + L-NAME (40 mg/kg)	139.3 ± 1.68^##	121.7 ± 1.11^##	124.3 ± 1.20^##	336.7 ± 10.82^##

Values are expressed as mean ± S.E.M. one-way ANOVA followed post hoc Bonferroni tests.

LS, Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.; L-NAME, N^G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester.

***p < 0.001 considered as significant comparism between control and L-NAME (40 mg/kg).

^##p < 0.001 compared to L-NAME (40 mg/kg).

Figure 1.  Photomicrographs of histological changes of rat heart. (A) (40×) (−−, absence of change), Control group; (B) (40×) (+, 0–35% necrosis, inflammation); L-NAME (40 mg/kg, p.o.) group; (C) (40×) LS (500 mg/kg, p.o.) + L-NAME (40 mg/kg, p.o.) (−−, absence of change); (D) (40×) l-arginine (100 mg/kg p. o.) + L-NAME (40 mg/kg, p. o.) U, Unremarkable; NM, Necrotic myocardial cells; I, Inflammatory cells.

Figure 2.  Characterization of methanol extract of LS fruit by HPLC.