The herbal medicines Saireito and Boiogito improve the hypertension of pre-eclamptic rats induced by Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester

Abstract The chronic inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis with N ω -Nitro- l -arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) induces a pre-eclampsia-like syndrome including hypertension in pregnant rats. We tested the traditional herbal medicines Saireito (SR) and Boiogito (BO), which have been used clinically for the treatment of pre-eclampsia, in this model. L-NAME was infused subcutaneously into pregnant rats from gestational day 14 (G14). SR and BO (both at 1, 2 g/kg) were administered by gavage from G14 to G20. Systolic blood pressure was measured on G19. SR and BO (both at 1, 2 g/kg) inhibited L-NAME-induced hypertension. SR was effective in both pregnant and non-pregnant rats while BO was effective only in pregnant rats. BO increased blood levels of CGRP and decreased levels of endothelin-1; both are known to play important roles in regulation of blood pressure in pre-eclampsia. SR and BO may be beneficial for the treatment and prevention of hypertension in pre-eclampsia.