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BACKGROUND: The concept of modern diagnosis and treatment of hypertension is to protect target organs, improve clinical symptoms and minimize clinical events through antihypertensive treatment. Cassia seed has an antihypertensive effect that has been confirmed in animal experiment and clinical practice, but whether it can improve the vascular dysfunction, oxidative stress and end organ damage of hypertension remains to be further studied. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antihypertensive effect of cassia seed water extract on hypertensive rats induced by N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. METHODS: A rat model of hypertension was established by intragastric administration of N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester to observe the changes of blood pressure and heart rate after the intervention of cassia seed aqueous extract (500 mg/kg per day), once a day, for 4 continuous weeks. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured once a week. At 24 hours after the final administration, serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, urea and serum creatinine, and lipid mass spectrometry were detected by an automatic biochemical analyzer. Malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, reduced glutathione levels and angiotensin converting enzyme activity in rat liver and kidney were determined by corresponding assay kits. The expression levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein and gene in rat kidney tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry as well as real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the model group, cassia seed aqueous extract treatment significantly reduced mean arterial pressure, diastolic pressure and systolic pressure (P < 0.05) in hypertensive rats, and improved liver and renal markers, lipid distribution and oxidative status. In addition, cassia seed aqueous extract significantly reduced the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme in the liver and kidney of hypertensive rats (P < 0.05). The protein and mRNA expression levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the kidney of rats treated with cassia seed aqueous extract were significantly higher than those of the model group. In conclusion, cassia seed water extract has shown considerable potential for antihypertension, and its anti-hypertension mechanism includes up-regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression, antioxidants and inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzymes.
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Objective @#To learn the effects of cassia seed extract,ginkgo biloba leaf extract,salvia miltiorrhiza extract and red yeast rice compounds on blood lipid level of rats with hyperlipidemia. @*Methods @#The model of hyperlipidemia in SD rats was established. The rats in the low,moderate and high dose groups were given 0.267 g/kg body weight,0.533 g/kg body weight and 1.600 g/kg body weight of cassia seed,red yeast rice,ginkgo biloba leaf and salvia miltiorrhiza compounds by gavage for 30 days. A blank control group and a model control group were also set. The levels of serum total cholesterol（TC）,triglyceride（TG）,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol（HDL-C）and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C）in the five groups were measured before and after the intragastric administration. @*Results @#One week after the model was founded,the levels of serum TC,TG and LDL-C in the model control group were higher than those in the blank control group（P<0.05）. Before the intragastric administration,there were no significant differences in the levels of serum TC,TG,HDL-C and LDL-C between the model control group and each dosage group（P>0.05）. After the intragastric administration,there were no significant differences in the levels of serum HDL-C and LDL-C between the model control group and each dosage group（P>0.05）. The levels of serum TC and TG in the high dose group were significantly lower than those in the model control group（P<0.05）;There was no significant differences in the levels of serum TC and TG between the moderate dose,low dose group and the model control group（P>0.05）. @*Conclusion@# The compounds of cassia seed extract,red yeast rice,ginkgo biloba extract and salvia miltiorrhiza extract with a dosage of 1.600 g/kg body weight can reduce serum TC and TG levels in rats with hyperlipidemia.
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Objective To Explore the effect of Cassia Seed budding transforming organic vanadium. Methods Separate organic vanadium from inorganic vanadium in Cassia Seed sprouts by dislysis bag. The content of total vanadium and inorganic vanadium were determined by using the method of Graphite Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The transformation efficiency of organic vanadium in the Cassia Seed spouts was calculated. Results The seed coat of Cassia Seed could accumulate massive inorganic vanadium existing in environment during the process of its natural growing period,but the transformation efficiency of organic vanadium mainly occurred inside seed coat of Cassia Seed. Condusion Cassia Seed budding is one pathway of the biologic organification of vanadium.