Antioxidant and Vasodilator Activity of Ugni molinae Turcz. (Murtilla) and Its Modulatory Mechanism in Hypotensive Response

Figure 4

Vasodilator effects of Murtilla on isolated aortic rings. (a) Dose-dependent effects of Murtilla fruit extract (0.1 to 44 μgGAE/mL) upon aortic tissues with intact endothelium (black circles) or without endothelium (empty circles). Aortic rings with endothelium were exposed to a protein kinase G inhibitor ((b) black circles); small-conductance channel blockers ((c) black circles); large-conductance channels blocker ((d) black circles); nitric oxide synthase inhibitor ((e) black circles); and guanylate cyclase blocker ((f) black circles) for 20 minutes and then treated with 0.1 to 44 μgGAE/mL Murtilla extract to induce vasorelaxation. All treatments were compared with their controls without blockers (white circles). All assays were performed in quintuplicate of three independent experiments, and dose-response curves were plotted using a nonlinear regression model.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)