The effect of dry extract of white mistletoe leaves on the change of vasodilation function of the cerebral vascular endothelium in rats with chronic alcohol intoxication

Abstract

Aim to evaluate the effect of dry extract of mistletoe leafs on the change of vascular endothelium vasodilation function in rats under conditions of chronic alcohol intoxication. Material and methods. The chronic alcohol intoxication was modeled in female Wistar rats by course of oral administration of ethanol at the rate of 3g/kg/day. The tested extract and the reference drug ethylmethylhydroxypyridine succinate were administered per os at a dose of 100 mg/kg. The vasodilation function of the vascular endothelium was assessed by the change in the rate of cerebral blood flow during modification of the endogenous nitric oxide synthesis. The concentration of active forms of endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthase isofrom was determined by enzyme immunoassay. Results. The course of the tested extract and the reference drug resulted in an increase in the rate of cerebral blood flow in relation to untreated animals by 48.1% (p0.05) and 40.2% (p0.05), respectively. The restoration of endothelium-dependent vasodilation of cerebral vessels was also noted with the administration of the studied extract of white mistletoe and the reference drug. The analysis of changes in the NO-synthase system showed that, when using the tested extract, the concentration of eNOS increased by 76.3% (p0.05), and iNOS, on the contrary, decreased by 22.1% (p0.05), which was comparable with the indicators of the group of animals receiving the reference drug. Conclusion. The use of mistletoe leaf dry extract leads to the restoration of endothelium-dependent vasodilation of cerebral vessels in rats with chronic alcohol intoxication, probably due to the improvement of eNOS-dependent mechanisms of nitric oxide synthesis.

Keywords

• endothelium
• endothelial dysfunction
• alcohol consumption
• white mistletoe
• nitric oxide