Cardiovascular effects of methyleugenol, a natural constituent of many plant essential oils, in normotensive rats

Cardiovascular effects of intravenous (i.v.) treatment with methyleugenol (ME), a natural constituent of many plant essential oils, were investigated in normotensive rats. Additionally this study examined (I) whether the autonomic nervous system is involved in the mediation of ME-induced changes in mean aortic pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR), and (II) whether the hypotensive effects of ME could result from its vasodilatory effects directly upon vascular smooth muscle. In both pentobarbital-anesthetized and conscious rats, i.v. bolus injections of ME (1 to 10 mg/kg) elicited similar and dose-dependent decreases in MAP. In anesthetized rats, ME decreased HR only at the highest dose (10 mg/kg), while changes of this parameter were not uniform in conscious rats. Pretreatment of anesthetized rats with bilateral vagotomy significantly reduced the bradycardia response to ME (10 mg/kg) without affecting the hypotension. In conscious rats, i.v. pretreatment with methylatropine (1 mg/kg) or hexamethonium (30 mg/kg) had no significant effect on ME-induced hypotension. In rat isolated thoracic aorta preparations, ME (0.006-1.68 mM) induced a concentration-dependent reduction of potassium (60 mM)-induced contraction. This is the first physiological evidence that i.v. treatment with ME in either anesthetized or conscious rats elicits hypotension; an effect that seems related to an active vascular relaxation rather than withdrawal of sympathetic tone. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.