Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat-Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jan 27;133(2):675-86. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.10.052. Epub 2010 Oct 30.
Tinospora crispa has been used in folkloric medicine for control of blood pressure, as an antipyretic, for cooling down the body temperature and for maintaining good health.
To investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of an n-butanol extract from the stems of Tinospora crispa (T. crispa extract) on blood pressure and heart rate in anesthetized rats.
Air-dried stems of T. crispa were extracted with water, followed by partitioned extract with chloroform, ethyl acetate, and finally by n-butanol. The n-butanol soluble part was evaporated under reduced pressure and lyophilization to obtain a crude dried powder (T. crispa extract). The effects and mechanisms of the T. crispa extract on blood pressure and heart rate were studied in anesthetized normal and reserpinized rats in vivo in the presence of different antagonists.
T. crispa extract (1-100 mg/kg, i.v.) caused a decrease in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and this effect was inhibited by propranolol, phentolamine, atenolol and/or the β(2)-antagonist ICI-118,551, but not by atropine or hexamethonium. In reserpinized rats, the T. crispa extract had a dual effect: reduction in hypotensive activity, followed by a small increase in blood pressure. The decrease in MAP in reserpinized rat was slightly potentiated by phentolamine, but inhibited by propranolol or ICI-118,551 only if atenolol and phentolamine were also present. The increase in MAP was potentiated by propranolol and ICI-118,551, but was inhibited by phentolamine. The T. crispa extract had a dual effect on heart rate in the normal rat: a small transient decrease, followed by an increase in heart rate. The positive chronotropic effect of T. crispa extract was inhibited by propranolol, phentolamine and atenolol, but not by ICI-118,551, atropine or hexamethonium. Reserpine potentiated the positive chronotropic effect of the T. crispa extract and this effect was inhibited by propranolol, atenolol and ICI-118,551, but not by phentolamine.
From these results we suggest that T. crispa extract possesses at least three different cardiovascular-active components that act directly via (1) β(2)-adrenergic receptors to cause a decrease in blood pressure, and β(1)- and β(2)-adrenergic receptors to cause an increase in heart rate, (2) α-adrenergic receptors to cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, and (3) a non-adrenergic and non-cholinergic pathway to cause a decrease in MAP and heart rate. These findings provide scientific support for the tradition of using this plant to modify the actions of the human cardiovascular system.
三叶鬼针草在民间医学中被用于控制血压、退热、降温以及保持身体健康。
研究三叶鬼针草茎的正丁醇提取物（T. crispa 提取物）对麻醉大鼠血压和心率的作用和作用机制。
将风干的三叶鬼针草茎用水分批提取，然后用氯仿、乙酸乙酯进行萃取，最后用正丁醇萃取。正丁醇可溶性部分在减压下蒸发并冻干，得到粗干粉（T. crispa 提取物）。在有不同拮抗剂存在的情况下，研究 T. crispa 提取物对麻醉正常和利血平化大鼠血压和心率的影响和作用机制。
T. crispa 提取物（1-100mg/kg，静脉注射）可降低平均动脉血压（MAP），这种作用可被心得安、酚妥拉明、阿替洛尔和/或β（2）拮抗剂 ICI-118,551 抑制，但不受阿托品或六烃季铵抑制。在利血平化大鼠中，T. crispa 提取物具有双重作用：降低降压活性，随后血压略有升高。酚妥拉明略微增强利血平化大鼠的 MAP 降低作用，但仅在同时存在心得安或 ICI-118,551 时才被心得安或 ICI-118,551 抑制。MAP 的升高可被心得安和 ICI-118,551 增强，但可被酚妥拉明抑制。T. crispa 提取物对正常大鼠心率有双重影响：短暂的轻微瞬态降低，随后心率增加。T. crispa 提取物的正性变时作用被心得安、酚妥拉明和阿替洛尔抑制，但不受 ICI-118,551、阿托品或六烃季铵抑制。利血平增强了 T. crispa 提取物的正性变时作用，这种作用被心得安、阿替洛尔和 ICI-118,551 抑制，但不受酚妥拉明抑制。
从这些结果我们可以得出结论，T. crispa 提取物至少具有三种不同的心血管活性成分，它们直接通过（1）β（2）-肾上腺素能受体作用，导致血压降低，通过β（1）和β（2）-肾上腺素能受体作用，导致心率增加，（2）通过α-肾上腺素能受体作用，导致血压和心率升高，以及（3）通过非肾上腺素能和非胆碱能途径导致 MAP 和心率降低。这些发现为使用这种植物来调节人体心血管系统的作用提供了科学依据。
