sapogenins and Hypertension

Gut microbiota is well-established to regulate host blood pressure. Diosgenin is a natural steroid sapogenin with documented anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antihypertensive properties. We aimed to investigate whether the antihypertensive effects of diosgenin are mediated by the microbiota-gut-brain axis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). 15-Week-old male Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and age-matched SHR were randomly distributed into three groups: WKY, SHR treated with a vehicle, and SHR treated with diosgenin (100 mg kg

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antihypertensive Agents; Antioxidants; Blood Pressure; Brain; Butyrates; Diosgenin; Hypertension; Male; Rats; Rats, Inbred SHR; Rats, Inbred WKY; Sapogenins

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a fundamental regulator of systemic blood pressure. Ginsenosides from Panax ginseng have been investigated in vitro for the molecular and biochemical mechanisms by which they stimulate NO release in vascular endothelial cells; however, little research has been done to confirm the physiological relevance of these in vitro studies. To address this research gap, the effects of a P. ginseng extract rich in ginsenosides from protopanaxatriol on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) was examined. Ginseng extract administration stimulated nongenomic Akt-mediated eNOS activation, enhanced NO production, improved vessel wall thickening, and alleviated hypertension in SHRs, confirming the physiological relevance of previous in vitro studies with ginsenosides.

Topics: Animals; Endothelial Cells; Gene Expression; Hypertension; Male; Nitric Oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; Panax; Phosphorylation; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Rats; Rats, Inbred SHR; Sapogenins; Vasodilation