Role of elements in pathophysiology of hypertension and antihypertensive drug development

Effect of Brahmi vati and Sarpagandha Ghana vati in management of essential hypertension - A randomized, double blind, clinical study

Background

Essential hypertension (EHTN) is emerging as one of the most prevalent disorder with high rate of complications, morbidity and mortality. Brahmi vati, an Ayurvedic medicine is explored for its efficacy in the management of EHTN.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of Brahmi vati and sarpagandha Ghana vati in the management of EHTN.

Methods

Total 68 patients meeting the JNC 7 criteria of EHTN of age group 20 to 60 years of either sex participated in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups, group A received capsule Brahmi vati 500 mg and group B capsule Sarpagandha Ghana vati 500 mg respectively twice a day for 30 days. Assessments were done through various variables like systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), lipid profiles, Hamilton anxiety rating scale, 2 weeks sleep diary, serum creatinine, hemoglobin, total leukocyte count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Follow up visit was on every 15th day.

Results

Study showed that both Brahmi vati and Sarpagandha Ghanavati produced improvement in most of the variables and were comparable. Improvements were seen in various variables like SBP, DBP, MAP, Hamilton anxiety rating scale, subjective sleep profiles and total cholesterol. However Brahmi vati showed increase in weight and Body Mass Index (BMI). SarpagandhaGhanavati produced reduction in total cholesterol and LDL. Both groups showed good safety profile evaluated through the assessment of serum creatinine levels.

Conclusion

Clinical efficacy of Sarpagandha Ghana vati and Brahmi vati on EHTN showed that both were effective, safe and comparable.

Ayurveda and gynecological disorders

The science of life--Ayurveda is practiced in India since time immemorial. Besides being cheap and easily available Ayurvedic drugs are considered safe. Moreover, there is surge in the interest in Ayurveda due to quest of alternative medicines. Many of the gynecological disorders being not reported to the physicians, are treated with household remedies in India. The science of Ayurveda deals with these issues in a systematic manner as evident from the classification of diseases available and the number of plant drugs or the combinations thereof available for the treatment. In the present article, Ayurvedic herbal formulations and single plant drugs used traditionally in treatment of gynecological disorders are described.

Increased renal vascular resistance in zinc-deficient rats: role of nitric oxide and superoxide

1. Zinc deficiency (ZD) induces many kinds of pathological states. However, the effects of ZD on haemodynamics remain unclear. In the present study, we measured mean blood pressure (BP) and renal blood flow (RBF) under anaesthesia and calculated renal vascular resistance (RVR) from these parameters in rats maintained on a ZD diet (0.5 p.p.m. zinc) for 4 weeks. 2. Zinc deficiency did not change mean BP, but significantly reduced RBF and increased RVR (each P < 0.01). In addition, these effects of ZD were reversible. 3. Because Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a zinc-containing enzyme and superoxide is a potent scavenger of nitric oxide (NO), a vasodilator, we hypothesized that one of the mechanisms by which ZD increases RVR is by decreasing NO bioavailability by the enhanced formation of superoxide due to low Cu/Zn SOD activity. To test this hypothesis, we observed the roles of NO and superoxide in the mechanism, after having confirmed the low activity of Cu/Zn SOD in the kidneys of ZD rats. 4. Administration of the SOD mimetic tempol (5 mg/kg per min) decreased RVR to a significantly greater extent in ZD rats compared with control, suggesting that superoxide was responsible for the mechanism. Low doses of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 2.0 micro g/kg per min, continuous) decreased RVR to a significantly smaller extent in ZD rats compared with control, whereas a high dose of SNP (0.75 mg/kg, bolus) decreased RVR to a significantly greater extent in ZD rats compared with control, suggesting that the mechanism includes an inhibition of NO activity in ZD, which is most likely to be a scavenging of NO by the activated superoxide. 5. In summary, ZD may increase RVR. The mechanism probably includes changes in NO and superoxide activities.