Abstract
Artemisia verlotorum Lamotte (Compositae), growing in almost all the northern hemisphere, is used in folk medicine of some countries of Tuscany, Italy, as a remedy for hypertension. The pharmacological evaluation of the responses evoked by an aqueous dried extract of Artemisia verlotorum on the blood pressure of anaesthetized rats and on in vitro rat isolated aortae showed a marked, but transient, hypotensive activity. This effect was mediated by a strong vasodilator action, closely linked to the release of endothelial nitric oxide and to the nitric oxide-guanosine 3'-5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) pathway, caused by a muscarinic receptor agonism.
Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Acetylcholine / pharmacology
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Animals
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Aorta / drug effects
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Aorta / physiology
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Artemisia* / chemistry
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Atropine / pharmacology
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Blood Pressure / drug effects*
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Dipyridamole / pharmacology
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Endothelium, Vascular / drug effects
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Endothelium, Vascular / physiology
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In Vitro Techniques
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Italy
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Male
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Medicine, Traditional*
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Methylene Blue / pharmacology
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Muscle Contraction / drug effects
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Muscle Contraction / physiology
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Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / drug effects
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Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / physiology
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NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / pharmacology
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Norepinephrine / pharmacology
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Phytotherapy
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Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
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Plants, Medicinal*
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Rats
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Rats, Wistar
Substances
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Plant Extracts
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Dipyridamole
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Atropine
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Acetylcholine
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Methylene Blue
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NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester
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Norepinephrine