Evaluation of cardiovascular effect of pycnocycla spinosa decne. exbosiss. var. spinosa extract in anaesthetized rat

Hydroalcoholic extract of Pycnocycla spinosa Decne. exBoiss. var. spinosa has in vitro spasmolytic action, and at oral dose of 250 micro g/kg inhibits castor oil induced diarrhoea in mice. In this investigation, effects of P. spinosa var. spinosa extract in comparison with nifedipine on blood pressure and heart rate in animal model was studied. Injection of three bolus doses of P. spinosa var. spinosa extract [100 micro g/kg, 500 micro g/kg and 1mg/kg] into the jugular vein, temporary reduced blood pressure and heart rate. However, soon after completion of extract administration blood pressure and heart rate returned to normal. Nifedipine on the other hand caused a sustained reduction in blood pressure and decreased heart rate compared with the control group. From this study it was concluded that P. spinosa var. spinosa extract at antidiarrhoeal dose has no significant effect on blood pressure and heart rate

Effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Pycnocycla spinosa on rat isolated bladder contraction

Hydroalcoholic extract of Pycnocycla spinosa is a relaxant of rat ileum and inhibits diarrhea in mice. As P. spinosa extract has spasmolytic activity on ileum, it could also affect other smooth muscles like bladder. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of P. spinosa extract on rat bladder contraction. In an in vitro study, the effects of P. spinosa extract, nifedipine and propantheline were tested on isolated rat bladder contractions induced by acetylcholine [ACh, 10 M] and KC1 [80 mM]. P. spinosa extract, concentration-dependently, inhibited the bladder contractions induced by ACh with an IC50 of 265 +/- 28 micro g/ml, and KC1 with an IC50 of 518 +/- 86 micro g/ml. The muscarinic cholinoceptor antagonist, propantheline, inhibited the response of ACh without affecting KC1 response. Nifedipine, on the other hand, abolished the KC1 response, while partially inhibiting the ACh contraction in rat bladder. The antispasmodic effect of P. spinosa extract on bladder was observed at higher concentrations as compared to that of ileum. Therefore, it is unlikely that P. spinosa extract at anti-diarrheal doses affect the normal bladder emptying function