Antihypertensive Effects of the Vitex cienkowskii (Verbenaceae) Stem-Bark Extract on L-NAME-Induced Hypertensive Rats

Mireille Flaure Metchi Donfack; Albert Donatien Atsamo; Roméo Joël Temdié Guemmogne; Omer Bébé Ngouateu Kenfack; Alain Bertrand Dongmo; Théophile Dimo

doi:10.1155/2021/6668919

Antihypertensive Effects of the Vitex cienkowskii (Verbenaceae) Stem-Bark Extract on L-NAME-Induced Hypertensive Rats

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Mar 5:2021:6668919. doi: 10.1155/2021/6668919. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Mireille Flaure Metchi Donfack¹, Albert Donatien Atsamo¹, Roméo Joël Temdié Guemmogne², Omer Bébé Ngouateu Kenfack¹, Alain Bertrand Dongmo³, Théophile Dimo¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
² Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Ngaoundéré, P.O. Box 454, Ngaoundéré, Cameroon.
³ Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, P.O. Box 24157, Douala, Cameroon.

Abstract

Vitex cienkowskii stem-bark is used in Cameroonian traditional medicine to treat cardiovascular diseases including hypertension. In previous studies, the methanol/methylene chloride stem-bark extract of Vitex cienkowskii (MMVC) showed a preventive activity in L-NAME-induced hypertension and improved blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats. The present study investigated the curative effects in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats (LNHR). Hypertension was induced in rats by oral administration of L-NAME (40 mg/kg/day) for 28 days. The animals were divided into 2 groups: one group of 5 rats receiving distilled water (10 ml/kg) and another 20 rats receiving L-NAME. At the end of 4 weeks of administration of L-NAME, the animals were divided into 4 groups of 5 rats each: one group of hypertensive rats receiving distilled water, another one receiving captopril (25 mg/kg), and two groups of hypertensive rats receiving MMVC at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. Body weight, food, and water intake were measured weekly. At the end of the treatment, blood pressure and heart rate were recorded by invasive method. Whole heart, left ventricle, kidneys, and liver were weighed. The effects of plant extract on lipid profile and oxidative stress markers, as well as markers of hepatic and renal functions were assessed spectrophotometrically according to well described protocols. Results show that L-NAME significantly increases the mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), atherogenic index, lipid profile, and creatinine and transaminase activities of normotensive rats. MMVC significantly reduced the blood pressure in LNHR. Body weight, food and water intake, left ventricular hypertrophy, antioxidant level, renal and hepatic markers, and lipid profile were improved by the treatment with MMVC. The curative effect of MMVC on L-NAME-induced hypertension is probably related to its antihypertensive, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant properties. These results confirmed the use of Vitex cienkowskii for the treatment of hypertension in traditional medicine.